Scaredy-Cat
by lubidid
Summary: Ai-Linh Hua is your ordinary high school senior. She meets Kaoru through an unfortunate chance encounter. How did their little meetup go, you ask? Well, let's just say that Ai never expected to form a friendship with someone who she first thought of as a dirty sex offender and organ seller...
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**I wanted out.**

To clear my thoughts or just escape, I had to get out of the house.

…so I did.

The first time I went out for merely fifteen minutes. Hikaru was confused, he automatically thought he would go with me, no question, but I told him that I needed alone time.

Soon the fifteen minutes turned to an hour and my nightly strolls became regularity.

"_Just another step towards individuality, Hikaru, nothing's wrong- don't worry!"_ I would say cheerfully whenever he voiced out his worries.

And it was partially the truth. Nowadays I felt it more than ever. That need for independence. However I was still the same old Kaoru at the same time - fearful, immature, selfish and dependent on my twin.

Ever since we went to Boston last year the Host Club was no more.

Kyoya-senpai decided to stay in the States; he was accepted to Harvard Business School.

Whereas Mori-senpai and Honey-senpai were busy with university and prepared to expand their family businesses. Additionally Honey-senpai recently started dating Kanazuki-hime and there was definitely something unofficial going on between Mori-senpai and Inari-senpai who we met in Boston last year.

Tono was busy. He often traveled for business with his father since he was determined to be the successor of the Suoh-family now.

Of course he and Haruhi were still a big-ole couple.

Our Haruhi has changed quite a bit in the span of a year. She appeared even more mature, more feminine and was definitely more studious since the University Entrance Exams were right ahead of us this year. She was also more active and cheerful which was probably Tono's influence.

And my brother Hikaru – well, he still had a hard time dealing with Haruhi's and Tono's relationship. He wasn't quite over her yet and would still get upset or jealous every once in a while when they were around being all lovey-dovey. As a result he would excuse himself to cool off a bit but there fortunately weren't too many emotional outbursts in public from his side anymore. He had learned to control his feelings a little with my help and would turn to me or Mori-senpai whenever he felt heartbroken which was okay with me. The amounts of personal developments on his part were insane.

Hikaru agreed for us to have separate bedrooms, Hikaru decided to dye his hair black, he also told me he would like to study in a different field outside of fashion design, he recently got interested in graphic design.

Although I had been the one to initiate the concept of our independence, my brother was the one who took actual measures to achieve it.

So all in all, the Host Club members were busy and scattered. We most likely won't be having a big get-together for a long while. In other words, nothing was the same anymore. Adulthood was starting to pound impatiently on our door.

Now, where is the problem you ask? Why the nightly strolls you ask?

Well.

I am the problem.

_I wasn't_ _ready_.

Yet again, I felt left behind. This time it seemed that everyone had outrun me in terms of maturity because everyone had a plan and all I worried about was being left out.

There was no way that I was going to burden them with my childishness, especially not after that huge speech about independence that I gave my twin brother. Showing them that I had somehow gone back to zero after everyone and everything had moved on, would be beyond humiliating.

_You never really learn, huh Kaoru?_

Anyways, these were the reasons for my nightly excursions through our neighborhoods in Azabu.

Today I was heading towards my usual spot which took me about ten to fifteen minutes by foot. It was the Sakurazaka Park located right next to a Lutheran Church, although I found Sakurazaka playground to be a more fitting name since it's basically just an outdoor playground for kids with lots of slides.

I always relished in the extreme silence here. For some reason the noise didn't drill through this part of the city even though the park was directly behind the busy streets of Roppongi Hills. I was all alone in the park - well obviously - since most people wouldn't go to the park at midnight. And for that very reason I took a seat on a rocking horse and allowed my thoughts to drift away, looking up at the starless sky of Tokyo.

After a while I was startled to hear quiet footsteps coming closer. A small somewhat roundish girl appeared around the corner seating herself on the stairs that were leading towards the slides. Her body was turned towards me but she probably couldn't see me since there was a bit of a distance between the slides and the rocking horses. Furthermore the shadow of a huge tree was shielding my spot from the street lanterns as well; engulfing the entire right space in midnight darkness.

I considered leaving now that my favorite place was occupied but then decided that I came here first anyways so there was no reason for me to go.

What a weird girl… Did she do midnight trips like these often? Not sure if she was both really reckless and crazy or just plain naive to be walking around on her own at a time like this. She seemed to be distracted with her thoughts as well, sitting there on the stairs. In addition to that she was so tiny and didn't look like someone who could defend herself or run for her life.

Basically those were all grand invitations for serial killers to come for her.

Should I tell her to go home? Tell her that it's dangerous to walk around alone as a girl at this time? Didn't she have parents to warn her about these dangers? Or maybe she got lost…

I squinted a bit to get a better look at the odd girl and almost laughed out loud when I saw what she was wearing.

The girl was dressed in what was probably the most ridiculous pajama I had ever witnessed: A birght pink Jigglypuff onesie.

Quickly deciding that it was highly unlikely she'd get herself lost in her pink pajama at midnight, I planned to escort her home later just to be safe, but for now, I wanted to stay a little longer since I just got here.

When I was about to mind my own business again, I thought I heard some sniffling. Perplexed, I turned my head back around.

Was she crying?

The sniffles turned into sobs and she hid her face in her hands.

_Yep, she's definitely crying._

My eyes widened and I started to panic a bit. What on earth was I supposed to do with a crying girl? Usually Milord handled situations like these. Haruhi was good with crying people as well…

Should I ask her if everything was alright?

_Well, obviously she is not alright, you ninny. Would she be crying alone at midnight if she was?_

Should I leave her alone then? Maybe she'd like to be left in peace. Maybe I should just go home…

An then an image of Milord popped up in my head, lecturing me to "never leave a crying maiden" or something else along those lines…

By now the girl was trying to dry her tears and runny nose with her sleeves.

I should at least offer her a tissue.

Quickly rummaging through my jean pockets, I found the object I was looking for.

_Bingo._

I fished out the pack of tissues and pulled out a single one while I was approaching her carefully. Her face was buried in her hands again as I gently reached out to her, tissue in hand.

"Uh, excuse me. Would you like to-," I started, as all of a sudden an ear-shattering scream interrupted me.

"**Gaaah!**"

Startled by the loud noise, I lost my balance in shock and stumbled forward. I stretched out my right arm reflexively in an attempt to soften the fall as well as not to crush the girl under my weight. Even before I could really think about it otherwise, my hand cradled the back of her head. I winced slightly when it crushed my palm and I felt the corner of the stairs, pressing against the back of my hand mercilessly from the force of her head thudding against my palm.

"GET OFF OF ME! OH MY GOD RAPIST! RAPIST!" she yelled hysterically. My eyes widened in panic and I put my hand over her mouth immediately, fearing that she might wake the entire neighborhood. The strange girl grabbed my hand that was covering her mouth and-

-Jesus Christ! She just bit me in the palm!

I was still yelping in pain when she pushed me back, effectively throwing me off of her and making me land on my behind.

She proceeded to yell "Rapist!" like a crazed banshee. I grabbed her ankles and the girl fell face forward into the sand with a thud that was undeniably satisfying to me.

She bit me in the freaking palm, ok!?

I was pretty sure that she got a load of sand in her mouth but at least that'd keep her from trying to frame me for a crime I definitely didn't attempt.

"I can't believe you bit me. Are you crazy!? Stop screaming, you idiot! You're going to wake the entire neighborhood!" My hand was still stinging with the pain of her bite.

She lifted her face from the sand. My hands were still tightly wrapped around her ankles. She coughed and spat out a mouthful of sand.

"That's the point you son of a bitch! Let me go, you goddamn pervert! My sister is a judge, so don't you dare attempt anything. I swear I'll lock your ass up in jail!"

She opened her mouth to resort back to screaming and I threw myself onto her, swiftly turning her on her back and pinching her lips together with my index finger and thumb to make sure she wasn't tempted to yell or do a repeat performance of the bite. Her eyes were wide and I saw tears of fear and panic forming. I tried to calm my erratic heart and breathing while keeping her pinned under my weight.

_What on earth is happening!?_

Her entire body struggled as she was trying to free herself from my grip. She was admittedly a lot stronger than she looked.

When my breathing evened out I spoke slowly and calmly to her in an attempt to calm her down. "Listen. This is not what you think it is. This is all a misunderstanding, okay? I'm not a rapist. I've already been here before you came, you just didn't notice me. I saw you crying and wanted to offer you a tissue, that's all."

I gestured to my right with a nod of my head towards the direction of the tissues. Apparently the packet landed somewhere on the ground next to us during our slapstick comedy performance.

I noticed that she stopped trying to resist. There was still suspicion and fear in her eyes.

"Look, I'm going to pull my hand away and get off of you and you won't start screaming around like the mad chick that you are, okay?"

She narrowed her brown eyes at the 'mad chick' insult but nodded in agreement since there was no other option for her anyways.

I quickly pulled my hand and other parts of my body from the vicinity of her teeth just in case she suddenly decided to change her mind and opted to chomp on my fingers.

As I swiftly got up on my feet, dusting myself off, _Pinky _(that's what I decided to call her) was on all fours, scrambling as far away from me as possible. Both of us were still trying to catch our breaths and we were looking at each other wide eyed, still trying to grasp whatever just happened. We were covered in sand from head to toe due to our brawl and neither of us dared to break the silence between us so we just stood there for what seemed to be an eternity.

After a while _Pinky_ appeared to have made up her mind since she got up from her spot on the ground and turned around without another word to quickly shuffle away.

"Uh, wait!" I called out after her.

The girl halted mid-step and turned her head carefully.

"What?" she asked cautiously, suspicion apparent in her tone.

To be honest, I didn't know what I had in mind either. After that whole embarrassing fiasco it would be better to act like nothing had happened.

But my body moved on its own accord before my thoughts could process anything and I picked up the tissues from the ground to offer her one. Her entire face was covered with sand from when I tripped her and her nose was still runny from crying so heavily.

She looked at me with extreme suspicion.

"How do I know that tissue isn't soaked in chloroform so you can drag my unconscious body into a car and sell my organs in the dark net? You're not from the Yakuza (Japanese mafia), are you? Selling children and women for prostitution?"

What? Now I was actually offended. Why am I supposed to take all of her insults when I was the one here, trying to be gracious and forthcoming? I didn't look anything like a Yakuza or a creep that sold the body of minors. _Right?_

"Alright, nightmare in pink, listen up!" I snapped back, having had enough. "That's what I get from you for being courteous? I assure you if I were a criminal I would have already done something by now instead of standing here and having a nice conversation with you. By the way," I added incredulous. "You might want to cut down on watching CSI, darling - selling your organs in the dark net?"

She narrowed her eyes at me but I swear I could see the embarrassment coloring her cheeks.

"_Courteous!?"_ _she spat out the word like it was something disgusting. "_Do I look to you like I've been helped!?" she snarked at me and gestured towards her sand-covered form. "And for your information, organ trafficking actually happens in real life that's not just stuff I've seen on CSI. Also, did you just call me 'nightmare in pink'? You've got some nerve. Excuse me for thinking you're a criminal because you were throwing yourself at me in the dark when I was all alone!"

"You are excused, Pinky," I retorted cockily, just to get a rise out of her and to my amusement it worked. I could almost see steam coming out of her ears. She looked hilarious, fuming while her face was covered in sand and in that ridiculous pink getup.

I think I heard her mutter something like "stupid fake-ginger Ed Sheeran-wannabe" and let out a sharp laugh.

"I assure you my hair color is all real. And that's offensive because we both know I'm a lot better looking than Ed Sheeran. If anything it would be him wishing to look like me, Pinky."

"Yeah right, you got a lot more of a stick up your rear as well. Need any _courteous_ aid to pull that out, Prince Harry?" the girl hissed at me.

She brusquely snatched the pack of tissues out of my hand while I was trying to reign in my amusement.

"I'm so glad that I can at least serve as a medium of laughter for _his_ _royal heinous_," she sneered indignantly from somewhere behind me.

By now I was just a wheezing mess.

After a good while I had to force myself to calm down and turned around to look at her. She was sitting on a bench, trying somewhat unsuccessfully, to clean her grimy face with the dry tissues.

"That won't work," I called out and handed her my personal handkerchief. "Here, take this, we should wet it a bit. There's this weird sink over there. Not sure how it works though."

She raised an eyebrow at me. "That's a _drinking fountain_," she deadpanned, looking at me like she was talking to someone clinically insane.

"Uh yeah, that's what I meant," I said, acting like I knew that all along.

_Was that where commoners got their water from? From weird metal sinks in parks? So they actually had to go all the way to parks to get their drinking water? How bothersome, it must be hard to be a commoner…_

Suddenly I felt a newfound respect for the girl and Haruhi when I imagined these two tiny girls walking miles towards a park, heaving heavy buckets full of water to be able to drink and wash at home.

_Mental note to Kaoru: Make sure to send water bottles to Haruhi's home every week so she won't have to carry heavy water buckets from the park to her apartment all by herself._

I watched as the girl got up and followed her towards the _'drinking fountain'_. As she pushed the button, water flowed upwards in a slight arc; I couldn't help the "Woah!" slipping out when she held my handkerchief under the water spray.

She immediately turned around and frowned at me like I was the strangest being she had ever laid her eyes on. "What planet are you from where drinking fountains don't exist, captain weirdo?

_Uh, what? How do I answer that? Think quick Kaoru!_

"Uh-Uhm…Shirakawa! I'm originally from – from Shirakawa. Yes yes," I answered a bit too quickly.

Shirakawa was a small village in the Gifu prefecture not too many people knew of. I had a vacation home there, it was a peaceful place with lots of nature and few people. For some reason it was the first thing that popped up in my mind when I thought of places she shouldn't know. Why I felt the sudden need to lie about my background was beyond me.

"_You're_ from Shirakawa? From the Japanese Alps?" she asked disbelievingly, looking me up and down.

I cursed her inertly for knowing Shirakawa.

_Out of all the shitty little villages in Japan, she had to know this one?_

"Yup, that's where I'm originally from. Home sweet home."

_Home sweet home? __The hell? Are you some kind of country singer now, Kaoru?_

"Uh…okay. You don't look like someone from Shirakawa," she determined as she wiped her face with the wetted handkerchief.

Damn, was there a certain look that native people in Shirakawa had? Why didn't I think of anything else?

_Why did you lie in the first place, Kaoru? Are you an idiot? Just say you were brought up here!_

"I mean, you look like you've been brought up in the big city your whole life."

Well, I _was_ brought up in Tokyo all my life and I _was_ filthy rich on top of that. But why was I trying to act like a commoner in front of a strange commoner girl who I most likely won't meet again and who most likely didn't give a damn anyways?

"Sometimes you just change according to your environment, you know? I've been living in Tokyo for a while now." I shrugged, feigning nonchalance that I wasn't actually feeling at this point.

She nodded quietly and I was glad that she wasn't questioning me further. It was only now that I actually took a good look at her. She had a bit of a chubby figure judging by her slightly round face. The rest of her body was covered in that pink monstrosity so I couldn't really see anything but her head. Slightly tanned skin, short and what looked like naturally long, curly black hair that was tied in a ponytail. She had a cute face. There was nothing model-like compared to Inari-senpai's best friend Rosalie. Maybe a slight hint of exotic beauty like Inari-senpai but definitely not to the same extent and no doll-like looks that resembled Haruhi as well. She was just somewhat cute, I guess. Big doe eyes, little nose, full lips and somewhat clear skin.

I watched her interested as she finished cleaning her face off. "Alright, I'm out of here," she declared out of the blue.

I feigned indignation. "What?" I frowned at her. "No 'thank you' or anything? How rude, Pinky. "

"What?" she snapped impatiently. "You want a medal for turning me into a sand cake?" She let out a huff, raising an eyebrow at me. "And stop calling me Pinky," Pinky added in annoyance.

It was a treat to tease her. "Yeah, I guess a medal will do. What else do you want me to call you? How about my_ little sugar plum_?"

The girl turned her back to me and held up two middle fingers in my direction, then disappeared around the corner without saying another word.

Charming.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

„Kaoru, dear. Would you help me pin that down on the side seams?"

"Sure," I said, rising from my spot to help my mom out.

"This will be the final piece of this year's spring collection. What do you think Kaoru?" she asked enthusiastically.

I pinned the left seam to the mannequin and took a good look at my mother's unfinished design.

It was a figure-hugging square-necked shirt with short sleeves, most likely inspired by the Victorian era. She used a violet satin fabric, it made the design appear fancy and elegant.

To sum it up: I disliked it.

"Uhm…" I said, not knowing how to start. "It's nice mom. Very beautiful fabric and although I like it, I think it would be great to try out a different neckline, maybe a less royal color," I suggested gently, trying not to hurt her feelings because I knew how much thought she put into her designs.

She lifted a hand towards her chin, looking at the mannequin thoughtfully and pouted - slightly disappointed. "You think?"

"Don't get me wrong mom. It's nice just-," I started and was interrupted by the door that was forcefully slammed open.

Hikaru stepped inside the atelier and glanced at the mannequin with a horrified look on his face.

"Good lord, that's an ugly neckline!" he exclaimed ever so boldly.

I released a strenuous sigh.

_Of course_.

Mom looked up at us tearfully. "It's ugly?"

I glared at Hikaru.

_Couldn't you have worded that better?_

He merely shrugged his shoulders; signifying his words with a glance.

_But you think it's ugly too!_

I shook my head slightly, shooting him a stern look.

_Maybe so but I'm nicer about it. You know how stressed out she is right before fashion week._

He held up his hands in defense, turning around and leaving the atelier.

_Alright, I got it. Geez, I'll be leaving then._

Mom took turns looking between Hikaru and me during our silent conversation and appeared completely befuddled by the end of it when he left.

Like always when Hikaru was being tactless, it was up to me again to straighten things out.

"Mom, it's not ugly but maybe a bit too fancy for Prêt-à-Porter. We could make some simple changes and it would be perfectly modern."

Mom sniffed and nodded. "Alright, I guess I'm just losing my touch after all this time."

"You aren't, finishing an entire Prêt-à-Porter- and an Haute Couture-collection within such a short deadline is hard work; it's just the stress mom. The Haute-Couture-collection is simply breathtaking, you have really outdone yourself this time. Leave this last Prêt-à-Porter-piece to me," I consoled her.

My mother flung herself at me and gave me a fierce smooch on the cheek. "Oh, you always know how to make me feel better, Hikaru! Thank you, my dear."

I rolled my eyes and gingerly pried her hands off of me. "It's Kaoru, mom."

"Oh, of course you are my Kaoru. Sorry, dear."

"It's fine, mom," I replied half-heartedly, grabbing a sketchbook to draw out my idea. My hands were moving on their own accord while my thoughts drifted away.

It has been about two weeks since the strange encounter with Pinky. Quite frankly, it was a hilarious and weird incident and I went to the same spot every day, subconsciously hoping to run across her again.

So my theory for my interest was: She was funny. Very funny indeed, and I'm pretty bored nowadays. Nothing spoke against some distraction, right?

Also, my entire life, people were trying to get into my good graces, knowing that I carried the name Hitachiin. So it was either my looks or my name that got people to try and kiss my ass. Hardly did I ever experience an honest reaction to just my personality. Her reaction surprised me, had it been one of the Host Club girls, it might have been disturbingly likely that they would've asked me to molest them or something. But she was merely a _simple_ commoner who had no knowledge of my name, my background and wealth and I really wanted it to stay that way. It was intriguing to see her honest reaction towards me with the absence of Hikaru and just _simply_ be me. For some reason a part of me knew that we would cross paths again at some point.

"Done."

Mom was wearing a smile. "It's very simple, darling."

"Yes, it's _simple_," I agreed, completely satisfied with my creation because sometimes when your life was anything but simple, you just crave some sort of simplicity.

"But simple in a good way. In a beautiful way," she added. "The pink that you chose is very cute and fitting for spring. The crow neck and spaghetti straps add a sophisticated and feminine touch, a great addition!" she praised delightedly.

"My son is so talented and handsome. I'm so glad you have inherited mommy's looks and my eye for art and innovation," she raved teary-eyed while crushing me in a constricting hug.

I tried my best to inhale some air. "Well, I'm glad you like it that much, mom, but you're crushing my bones. Why are you so clingy today, anyways?"

She released me immediately, grinning sheepishly. "I will always want to cuddle my babies. Your dad and I have been abroad so much and I'll have to leave for the Paris Fashion Week soon. We are always so worried about you two. You know, I love you so much?"

I sighed and gave her a little smile opening my arms to embrace her. "Yes, don't worry." I patted her back. "We're all grown up, mom. We'll be just fine."

_Hopefully._

"Don't I know it? Look at you two now, all tall and soon to graduate."

All of a sudden she gazed up at me, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

I blanched.

I knew that look too well. Having used it quite often myself, I knew it meant no good. Careful not to make any sudden movements, I slowly took some steps backwards.

"Maybe soon to have a girlfriend as well..."

My eyes widened at the unexpected subject change. And then it happened…

Like a tiger attacking its prey, she leaped forward, reaching up to pinch my cheeks before I could even think of acting in some way.

I struggled to get away from her grip. "Ow! Mom!"

"Met some girls, Kaoru? Met a girl?" Mom pulled on my cheeks roughly. "How about your brother? Don't tell me he's still pining after Haruhi. Have you been on some dates while I was gone!? Tell me! Tell me!" she pressed me for an answer mercilessly, not letting go of my aching cheeks.

"Nah, ah hawen't med anywwon! Oww!" I managed to choke out while she opted for a change of pace by squishing my cheeks together.

After an eternity she had finally let go of my cheeks and smacked me on my arm. "Ow! Mom, why!?" I exclaimed, looking at her incredulously.

"What else did I give you my good looks for if you two aren't getting yourself a girlfriend!? Hikaru still hung up over, Haruhi?" she questioned sharply, hands resting on her hips.

"Yeah he still is," I grumbled as I rubbed my sore cheeks. "Mom, since when are you so invested in our love lives!?"

"Since now, you know you two aren't going to stay this cute forever right?"

"Mom, we're hardly old or anything…"

"So? Don't tell me you guys are going to give up since you got rejected by Haruhi."

"Actually, if we're going to be exact- it was Hikaru who got rej-"

Mom rolled her eyes. "Tomato, tomahto. She would have rejected _you_ as well!"

I cringed slightly, knowing it was definitely true.

She sighed exasperatedly and took a seat on the couch.

"Come over here," she demanded and patted the seat next to her.

I eyed her carefully, only a little afraid that she was going to attack me again. "Uh, actually standing is nice. I might just stay here…"

"Kaoru," she warned in a no-nonsense way and I thought better of it, quickly rushing to her side. She was in a scary mood today…

"Good boy," mom cooed, petting my head like a dog.

She reached for the teapot on the coffee table and poured a cup for me and herself. Mom silently handed me my cup and we both took a sip of the Ceylon tea her and dad brought home from Sri Lanka.

"Kaoru...I was thinking that you two might feel a bit lonely. Since your dad and I sadly have to travel so much for work, the Host Club dissolved and things are going to change even more drastically upon graduation, I wondered if you two were having a bit of a hard time. Especially you."

Her question startled me and I gracefully choked on some tea.

"*_cough* _You_ *cough cough*…_What!? Why me?"

My mother patiently waited until I got a hold of myself again. I wondered if she was messing around with me and searched her face for any traces of mischief or joke but this appeared to be one of the rare moments where she was actually serious.

"You know, I might be a bit of a scatterbrained person with a carefree attitude but I'm still your mother, so I notice when something is bothering my children whether you guys realize it or not." She raised her eyebrows at me. "And something is definitely bothering you, my love. The sudden long strolls every night are a good indication to begin with; even if I'm not there you should know that our staff tells us everything…"

_Damn it! Those traitors…_

"_-_and we have lots of security cameras around the house. Did you guys really think your dad and I would just leave you two hormonal devils without any supervision?"

_Well there goes the secretly sneaking out...Why didn't I think of the cameras?_

"I'm not here to scold you or anything, Kaoru. That's not my thing. You are eighteen years old now, almost an adult. I refuse to give you a curfew because you are definitely more responsible than Hikaru and I trust you to keep out of trouble."

"Mom, I really only go for a stroll. I'm not doing anything stupid, really," I defended myself honestly.

She held up her hand to signify her understanding. "I believe you," she said without any doubt in her voice.

I admit _that_ was surprising to me. Growing up my brother and I were far from being innocent or well-behaved children therefore it was somewhat touching that she so readily trusted me. It convinced me never to do anything that would shake her faith in me.

"Other than Hikaru, your eyes tell me more than your actions, Kaoru. You are worried, maybe a bit afraid? It's natural, darling; change is often scary. You have something on your heart? You don't want to confide in me or your father, not even Hikaru? That's fine. You'd feel embarrassed talking to the hosts; you don't want to confide in them as well? Well alright, but don't let everything pent up here." She put her hand over my heart. "And here for too long," she finished, tapping my head with her index finger.

"Mom…" I voiced out astonished. I didn't even know she had it in her to stay serious for such a long time but to hear her say those things…

"Just, don't close your heart off too much, it isn't healthy. If you don't want to confide in anyone I just mentioned, keep your mind open for others. Maybe someone you might have a more intimat-"

"Mom!" I interrupted her. My face was starting to heat up due to embarrassment and I frantically covered her mouth, not able to cope with what I knew she was trying to suggest.

_I can't believe this is happening. What's wrong with her today?_

She released a muffled giggle and removed my hand that was still covering her mouth. "Just saying, darling. A very smart woman named Julie Éléonore de Lespinasse once said: 'The great happiness in love consists of finding peace in another one's heart.' Maybe that's something you should keep in mind."

I looked at her disbelievingly. "So you're saying I should find a lover so that I can confide in her and it might provide me with some peace of mind," I concluded dryly.

"Yup! Your father knows everything about me. He's my rock," she gushed. "Literally. He knows everything," she added cheekily, winking at me.

...

This might be the most traumatizing chat I ever had with my mother.

I pulled out my phone and googled: How to unhear.

**~ O ~**

"**You want more control in this household!? More allowance!? How about you act the part and be a responsible adult for once. Then maybe you'd deserve it. I don't mind giving you any responsibilities but we both know you can't handle shit!"**

"**Oh please, you evil woman! We both know that you wouldn't be living in this country or in this house if it weren't for me working day and night! You would have no roof over your head if it weren't for me! You would still be rotting away in Vietnam to this day!"**

"**And!? Are you the only one working in this damn household!? Are you insinuating I have not worked and payed off all of your debt and bills ever since I stepped foot into this godforsaken country with your son!?"**

"**Fine! We have both worked our whole life! And now!? You get to keep all the money?"**

"**That money is OUR money and it's for this family, for our three children! I have never touched this money for my own sake and you know it! You useless piece of dirt!"**

"**I'm done with you! I'm your husband and everyday you treat me like the dirt under your soles. I work and work and endure your nagging and mood swings every single day. I'm leaving! Let's see how you get anything done without me at the restaurant!"**

"**Yeah, do it! Leave, like the loser that you are! Me and Ai Linh are used to your cowardice anyways. Just leave like you always do when something isn't going your way!"**

"**Right! I'm going to get my chickenhearted self out of your sight!"**

"**And take your shit with you!"**

**BANG!**

"**This time don't you dare come back!"**

***door slams shut***

…

So they're finally done. I picked up my phone, checking the time. It was 1 am.

I texted my best friend, Misaki.

'_Dad left again.' - Ai Linh_

I immediately received a message from her.

'_Want me to pick you up?'- Misaki_

'_Nah, it's fine. Stay in bed.'_ \- _Ai Linh_

'_Sure?'_ \- _Misaki_

'_Sure.'_ \- _Ai Linh_

'_Tell me all about it tomorrow at lunch. Try to get some sleep xoxo'_ \- _Misaki_

'_I will. G'night xo' - Ai Linh_

I waited until I heard my mother coming upstairs and until I could make out the sound of her bedroom door closing with a soft *_click_*.

There was no way that I was going to sleep now, therefore I got up; stuffing some pillows under the blanket to make it look like someone was lying there.

I picked up my phone, a pepper spray on my nightstand and my keys from my school bag, putting everything into my pajama pant pockets.

When I sneaked downstairs and out of the house, I tried my best not to make any noises.

The entire neighborhood was engulfed in darkness and silence, only some lanterns were providing the streets with some lighting.

I didn't plan on going far away, knowing it was unsafe, so I went to the playground right across the street in front of our house.

When I arrived at the park I seated myself on a bench.

Hopefully I won't encounter anyone like the last time…

The image of that weird guy popped up in my head and I had to snort when I thought about him trying to convince me that he was just some common dude from Shirakawa. He was in no way a bad liar, he sounded convincing enough but I knew that the people in Shirakawa lived a very simple and modest life. My uncle used to live there, and that guy didn't look simple nor was he modest in any way. The mere notion that this dude was from anywhere near the Japanese Alps was ridiculous.

His entire getup screamed Tokyo and not _just any_ Tokyo.

Designer shoes, designer jeans, designer shirt and a freaking golden Rolex Daytona on his wrist!

_Shirakawa my ass._

To the normal eye this guy might even look casual enough. Some might not recognize the designer wear but to a trained teenage eye that had been religiously studying fashion magazines and taken more knowledge from them than from school books, this kind of lie was easy to tell. And it was not just any designer getup he wore, no. He was not just _some_ rich guy. Those designer shoes were made by Yuzuha Hitachiin! And they were _limited edition_. Only _five_ of these have ever been produced. You don't just get shoes like these, not even rich people. Oh no, you must be hella important. You had to be the crème de la crème of Tokyo's high society with strong connections to the fashion world. This guy's mommy and daddy were probably famous, highly influential people.

I wondered why that dude felt the need to lie? It's unlikely someone as short as me could rob him or something. He was practically towering over me. And the other question was: What on earth was he doing in a neighborhood like Roppongi past midnight? Did he get lost or something?

And then of course there was another thing I noticed about him: He was ridiculously handsome. Offensively handsome even.

Yeah, sue me okay? I noticed. I'm still just a teenage girl, alright?

My cheeks heated when I thought about my attire the last time. I wore my favorite pajama and only actually noticed it when I was on my way back home. To my defense, I really didn't expect anyone at such an hour.

It was just my luck to cross some hot guy in a situation like that but he was too arrogant for his own good anyways and it wasn't like a fat girl like me had a chance with people like th-

"-Oh, I was hoping to meet you again!"

"GAAAHH!" I screamed and reflexively threw my phone as hard as I could towards the shadowy form on my right side.

I heard a loud yelp.

"Get the fuck away from me! I have a pepper spray, I'm warning you!" I yelled.

I heard the vaguely familiar voice mumble something like 'Not again' and took a better look at the person that was bending over in pain.

Red hair and…

_Wait-_

"Weird guy?"

* * *

Special thanks to **GinaSurreal** for being my first and only reviewer :D

I'm insanely insecure when it comes to writing since English isn't my first language and I'm still learning. This story is sort of a fun way for me to practice, I thought it was terrible and posted the first chapter just for the heck of it but I'm super glad that you think it's interesting. It motivates me to keep writing eventhough I think it's awful xD


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

_Wait._

„Weird guy?"

He was still bending over, grimacing in pain.

"Is this some sort of habit of you? To physically injure strangers?" he grinded out between clenched teeth.

Damn, apparently I had accidentally hit his royal weirdness right in the royal crown jewels with my phone.

"Oh my god, you startled me! Do you make it a habit to creep up on people in the middle of the night?"

Not gonna lie. That must be extremely painful; weird guy was bending over at the waist for a while now, breathing heavily and wincing every once in a while.

"Uhm…I might have a bag of frozen edamame at home. Should I get it for you to help- uh…reduce the swelling or something?" I suggested tentatively, trying to be helpful.

He huffed out a sarcastic laugh. "There's no way I'm going to put frozen vegetable anywhere near that area," he looked at me like I had officially lost my mind.

"Sorry, I'm not sure what to - sorry…" I rambled.

He shook his head slightly, straightened himself and took a seat on the bench, still wincing slightly.

Meanwhile I picked up my phone from the ground and shuffled around awkwardly in front of him. I felt bad and overall had no clue what to do.

He was still kind of tending to his - you know – _crown jewels_ and patted the space next to him on the bench.

After I didn't move or say anything he glanced up raising an eyebrow at me.

"Sit down, what are you waiting for?" he demanded slightly unnerved.

Eventually, I didn't question him and dutifully sat down next to him, still feeling guilty over what I did.

"Err- are you feeling better?" I asked uneasily after none of us said anything for a while.

"I'm fine now," he said sighing.

"Sorry 'bout that, I didn't mean to-"

"-it's alright," he interrupted.

"Okay," I said.

"Okay…" he replied.

_Awkward silence._

Why did he ask me to sit down again?

"Where's your outrageous pajama?" he asked out of the blue.

I blushed at the thought of my getup last time and at the fact that I went out of the house with my pajamas again today.

"Uh- at home in the dryer…"

He looked at me like he was trying to decipher me. It made me anxious.

"Do you always go out wearing your pajamas?" he asked slightly bemused.

"No!" I said defensively. "I just don't expect anyone at this hour but apparently I'm wrong."

He mustered me with that strange intense look once again.

"You seem different from the last time I met you," he stated thoughtfully.

I frowned in confusion. "In what way?"

"The last time I saw you, you seemed sort of temperamental and blunt. You certainly came up with quite some creative names to call me but now you seem like an entirely different person. Quiet and shy even," he answered amused.

I raised an eyebrow at his psychological character analysis. "The situation last time called for a different reaction that's all and you kind of deserved those names, you're entirely full of yourself," I shot back.

"So this is how you usually are? Quiet and shy?" he questioned, deliberately overlooking my notion of his arrogance.

"I'm not really a social person. I don't like people much. Most aren't worth it."

"How pessimistic," he commented.

"Pessimism is my middle name."

"Hear, hear. You remind me of two people I know too well," he said thoughtfully and for a moment I thought I saw something like melancholia in his eyes but I probably read too much into it.

He had been staring at me for entirely too long now, it was uncomfortable. It looked like he wanted to read me and I didn't appreciate that at all.

"Stop staring at me," I said when I couldn't stand his intense gaze anymore.

"Why?" he questioned, making no effort to stop.

"Because it's rude and you're creeping me out."

"My my, how demanding you are."

My eyes flashed at him. Was he trying to tick me off or something? Because it was working, he certainly knew how to bother others.

"My my, how nosy and annoying you are," I retorted.

He smirked teasingly.

"I should probably leave now," I said, sighing as I got up. There was no energy left inside me to deal with that right now. Not after that entire fiasco at home.

Weird guy reached for my wrist. "Wait."

I looked at his hand and quickly pulled mine away from his.

"Why?"

"I didn't mean to upset you. I was just teasing a bit and I'm curious about you so…please stay."

I looked at him skeptically.

"The last time I met you, you were crying. I'm sure you're out again because something's going on. Don't feel obligated to leave because of me. The air usually helps me to clear my mind; it might help you as well."

My eyes widened. I forgot that I was crying the last time I was here at night. He remembered and his assessment of my personality and my reasons for going out were right.

It freaked me out even more.

I felt embarrassment crawl up. Usually I cried by myself. The thought that someone else saw it, a stranger no less, was humiliating. So I did what came natural to me at the moment. I made a run for it.

"Pinky, wait!" I heard him, calling after me but I made no move to stop.

It was a mistake to go out tonight.

**~ O ~**

"Kaoru? What's up? Is something wrong?" Inari-senpai asked.

Since Honey-senpai was on a date with Kanazuki-hime I decided to visit Mori-senpai. Truth be told, I didn't expect to see Inari-senpai in Mori-senpai's living room. Are they on a date as well? Was I intruding?

"Uh- Inari-senpai, you here? Am I interrupting you guys or something? Maybe I should-"

"-it's fine, stay," Mori-senpai interrupted.

I looked at both of them, wondering if they were something official now. Inari-senpai raised an eyebrow at me, the look she gave me told me that she knew what I thought. "We're doing a study group for uni. Stop assuming things, nosy Nancy."

"Sorry," I said rubbing my neck sheepishly. "You look pretty, senpai. That's a nice dress," I complemented.

She smiled at me, throwing her sleek, shiny black hair back. "Thanks."

I took a seat on the sofa in front of Inari- and Mori-senpai.

"So what's up?", Mori-senpai asked patiently in his deep voice, pouring me a cup of tea.

"Why do you assume something is up? Maybe I'm just here because I missed you so much and wanted to hang out?", I asked defensively.

"Kaoru, we just saw you yesterday," Inari-senpai deadpanned.

_Oh, right. Awkward…_

"And usually, unlike Hikaru or Tamaki who have a habit of coming unannounced and uninvited, you are polite enough to arrange a meeting before you pop up at someone's house. This time you didn't," she finished with an eye-roll at the thought of those two.

"Right," I replied and decided to just get right to the point. "Uhm- so there's someone I met."

Inari-senpai perked up at that. Even Mori-senpai directed his full attention towards me.

"No, no!" I said quickly, "Not like that, guys. Hey, who are the ones assuming now!?"

I heard them simultaneously mumble some apologies.

"So a friend?" Inari-senpai inquired further.

"No, not even that. A stranger."

"Oh-kay, so?" she said slowly, not quite following me.

And so I rattled off the entire story of how I met Pinky and how unfortunate our meetings ended.

As usual Mori-senpai was listening attentively with a stoic expression on his face whereas Inari-senpai showed some expressions ranging from amusement to interest.

"So if I get this right. You want to befriend her?" Inari-senpai asked after my verbal vomit.

"Uh-yes, I guess. She seems interesting."

"You barely know anything about her. You don't even know her name. Why her, Kaoru? You have enough friends at school don't you?"

"Yeah, but those are more or less friendships of convenience, you know? And she doesn't know me. That's why."

Inari-senpai raised her eyebrows in question. "What?" she asked confused. "You might have to elaborate on that. She doesn't know you. So? There are enough people that don't know you. Lord knows, you and Hikaru haven't bothered that much to get to know others."

"That's not what I meant," I threw in. "She doesn't know Kaoru_ Hitachiin. _This name comes with so many labels like wealth, privilege and an identical twin brother. You guys have known for a while that I'm trying to be more independent however I realized that there is still not much that I do or have that doesn't involve Hikaru. I want someone to know me just as a person without all the prejudices that come with wealth and the social boundaries. And who is more fitting of that than a commoner?"

All this stuff concerning independence was still so confusing and new to me. I felt like my head could burst any minute.

I rubbed my face tiredly. "Also, for some time now I have realized that the only way people are trying to assess my personality is by finding differences and similarities that I have with my twin brother. But I don't want to be compared to Hikaru anymore and I don't want to be known for my similarities with him. Just for once I want to be known by someone without Hikaru being involved, I want someone to see me for who I actually am. I want to be an individual that can stand by his own," I continued seriously.

My seniors were oddly silent after my speech.

"So that's what's been on your mind all this time," Inari-senpai mused after a while.

I looked at her slightly befuddled. Had it been that obvious?

"You know Hikaru has visited Honey and me a few times. He was all freaked out because of your nightly excursions and you keeping things from him," she explained.

Oh so that's why. I had to shake my head slightly - of course he would.

I looked up in surprise when Mori-senpai voiced out his thoughts. "He's just worried Kaoru."

"You might want to tell him at least a bit. I think he feels like you don't want to confide in him anymore. You don't have to tell him everything of course but at least explain to him what's up with you so he won't worry sick. When he told us about you going out every night, we were kind of worried too to be honest," Inari-senpai added.

Now I felt slightly annoyed. Had these guys been talking behind my back all this time now?

"How many of you guys know of this? See, this is why I didn't want to tell anyone. I'm not fond of the idea that I'm the special specimen that you guys are trying to figure out."

"It's just Honey, Takashi, Hikaru and me. Takashi and I aren't going to tell anyone about you coming here today as well, okay? By the way you've known these guys longer than I do so you should be used to their nosiness." She looked at Mori-senpai. "Takashi excluded."

"You know he means well, Kaoru," Mori-senpai chimed in with his deep voice.

"I know but that entire meddling thing is driving me insane. Don't you dare tell Milord, Kyoya and Haruhi about this mess. I can't deal with more people."

Inari gave me a look. "Like you aren't guilty of meddling as well."

I pouted. "Maybe, but still," I replied childishly.

"Okay, I will have a chat with Hikaru. Anyways, the reason I actually came here for was because of the girl. She ran away yesterday. I'm not sure what I had said that upset her. What did I do wrong, Ina-senpai? You are always good with people and always know what to say."

Besides Kyoya-senpai, Ina-senpai must be the smartest person I knew. She'd know what to do.

"You said, her expression changed after you told her that she was crying the last time you saw her and that she had a problem with you looking at her?"

"Yes."

"How is her posture?"

"Huh?"

"Her posture, Kaoru, her posture. How does she carry herself?"

"Uh- Why?"

She rolled her eyes impatiently. "Just answer the damn question, Kaoru."

"Well, shoulders slightly hunched. Head and gaze often downwards, I guess. So she's most likely not a very confident person."

"There you go, there you have your answer; she's an insecure person. This is basic behavioral psychology; everything I learned at the beginning of Psychology classes," she said, casually nipping on her tea.

"Look, whatever you said probably hit too close to home. There must've been some bad experiences that she's had with others. I thought you of all people would understand that best?"

"Well, yeah but Hikaru and I were different. We didn't give a damn about what others thought, we always thought we were superior," I said shrugging.

"_You need to keep in mind that no one has ever put you down_. You were always spoiled and popular because of your looks and wealth," Ina-senpai retorted, resting her face in her hands while staring at me intently. "Realize that those are privileges not everyone has. It took a persistent jackhammer like Tamaki to break your wall and open your eyes. You guys thrive in a crowd but there are others who die in a crowd. I think it's not unimaginable to assume that she is an introverted person. So approach her differently. I doubt your host-routine is going to work on her. It'll probably scare her away for good. If she thinks you're honest with her then you might get to know her," Inari finished.

I tried to digest senpai's advice. Then wouldn't my personality scare someone like that away? The last two encounters didn't end too well after all.

"Ok, I think I understand. But how do I go from here?"

"Just be yourself," Mori-senpai took the word.

Inari nodded. "Yep, just be you. Anything else would be dishonest. Tell her who you are, talk about things you want to talk about but don't get too personal, save the philosophical questions for another time. Just keep her personal space in mind and don't pressure her to talk or anything."

"And if she doesn't like me?"

"Then look for another friend. Not all people are compatible as friends but I think you'll do just fine. You're by far more tactful than your brother," she concluded.

Mori reached out to pat my head and offered me the slightest hint of a smile. "It will be alright."

**~ O ~**

_One week later_

It was Friday and I was currently at home in the kitchen, cooking dinner. My best friend, Misaki was leaning against the kitchen counter, eyes focused on her phone screen while keeping me company.

"You sure you don't want any help?" she asked.

I shook my head no and proceeded to stir Beef and Broccoli in the wok. "Nah, it's almost done."

"Okay," she said and reached for two bowls from the top shelf and two pairs of chopsticks. Misaki had been here so often, she knew the house in and out by now.

"So tell me about your dad. He came back yesterday?" she began.

I sighed, not really in the mood to talk about it. "Yeah, they reconciled yesterday. No apology or anything. They just made a compromise and now it's like they have never argued at all."

"Until the next two weeks, of course," I added bitterly.

I heard Misaki huff as I added a spoon of oyster sauce to the stir fry.

"It's really ironic how they tell you not to worry and to keep out of it when they argue yet subsequently they come seeking you out like you're their marriage counselor instead of their youngest teenage daughter."

I watched my best friend handling the poor dishes rougher than necessary as she talked herself into a rage.

"Not to mention that you have to jump in, working at the restaurant whenever your father feels like clearing off. This is your last year of high school, like you don't have enough on your plate already. One would've thought that they'd at least not pressure you to be perfect but of course that's too much to ask of them as well," she ranted, clearly miffed at my parents contradictory actions.

It was nice that I had someone like Misaki who cared and who I could confide in. Since my older brother and sister had moved out, the burden of living together with my parents had doubled overnight.

Trying to survive the wrath of my overworked and stressed mother while balancing school, cram school and the upcoming university entrance exams at the end of the year, was actually more than I could handle. Now I was left alone with the task to care for the house, my parents (making sure they don't rip each other's heads off), and cooking as well.

"How can you be so relaxed about this?" She asked annoyed, boldly filling up two small bowls with freshly cooked rice from the rice cooker. "How come I'm upset on your behalf?"

I let out another heavy sigh; I'm doing that way too often. "It doesn't change anything, if I'm dwelling on it. It will happen again anyways, you know how they are. I just don't want to think about it anymore."

I turned off the stove and set the pan with the Broccoli-Beef Stir-fry on the counter.

"These past weeks they've been all I thought about and I seriously have more important things to chew on other than their frequent nasty fights."

Misaki's expression softened. "You're right. It's better if you focus on other things right now. I just wished they'd see how much they pressure you and that they'd change upon realizing how difficult this is for you."

A sarcastic laugh slipped out of me. "My parents don't change. I've realized that a long time ago. Talking to them just makes everything worse. For now I should just concentrate on not failing school and getting into a somewhat decent university and then hopefully I can move out right away. That has been my only hope for years now. Now please do me a favor and drop this subject. Get your butt on the seat next to me and eat your dinner before it gets cold, young lady."

She looked slightly conflicted and worried. Bless her; she was the only one who really cared about how I felt. But I gave her a stern pointed look which made her smile rather than having an intimidating effect on her and she dutifully planted herself next to me, doing a mock salute.

"Yes, ma'am!"

I waited and watched her pick up her chopsticks, wanting to see her reaction first before eating.

"It's so good!" she exclaimed, digging in with gusto.

Relieved that it wasn't terrible I started eating as well.

I didn't start cooking since last year which is sort of funny since both of my parents were fantastic chefs and my mom owned a Vietnamese-Cantonese restaurant. The reason I started to pick up cooking since last year was because mom came home from work one day, scolding me for being useless around the household and saying that I was supposed to learn how to cook because I'd end up alone otherwise.

Ever since then I started to learn it step by step in order to escape her constant nagging. At first my parents were incredibly dissatisfied with my cooking. Anything that didn't taste exactly like the dishes they made was indigestible in their opinion but by now I think I've finally gained their approval.

"Say, you wanna come and have some drinks with me tomorrow? With Keiko, Hotaru and some other people," Misaki asked with a full mouth.

I looked at her warily.

"Come on, don't be like that. It will be fun, you never join when we ask you," she pouted.

Here was the thing: I hated people.

In some ways Misaki was very similar to me, I suppose that's why she was my best friend - because no one in the world understood me better than her. For example one thing that we had in common was our anti-social attitude and our muteness around other people.

We were still different in a way, of course. Misaki could go out with a group of people, even ones that she'd never met and have fun, as long as there was alcohol involved. The problem was I hated people whether I was drunk or sober.

Out of us two, I was the one who was better at superficial polite talk with strangers or adults, Misaki not so much. That's why she often appeared rude or intimidating to others. Her outer appearance really didn't help her with that. The colored flaming-red hair and the many piercings along with her black clothing and above average height made her seem inapproachable.

She always asked me to join her for drinks on weekends but I wasn't the kind of girl that enjoyed drinking every other weekend and most certainly not in company.

The definition of a successful weekend to me was watching Netflix alone with my cat, not moving a single limb and eating in order to fulfill my destiny – which is to turn into a ginormous walrus.

"My mom," was all I said to Misaki concerning the night-out-matter. There was no way mom would let me go out at night without making an enormous scene. Misaki knew that and for once I was a bit thankful for my mom's strictness and endless rules.

She frowned. "Alright, whatever."

"Some other time," I promised half-heartedly, like always whenever she asked me to go out with her and others.

And thankfully she left it at that for now.

**~ O ~**

Misaki had left slightly past midnight. As usual it had been a comfortable night with just the two of us chatting about school, life, laughing about trivial things and watching Breaking Bad. It felt great to just relax with her like this after this terrible week.

My parents had already gone to sleep.

Meanwhile I was lying in my bed, not tired and immensely bored. I turned to my side and pondered with the thought of sneaking out again for some fresh air. At the same time I wondered if I'd meet that guy again.

I threw a pillow on my face, feeling it heat up when I thought about our last encounter and the way I overreacted and stormed away when he teased me. I'm usually not that dramatic, it was probably because of my lousy day that I had reacted the way I did.

Now that I actually thought about it, I'd been insanely rude to him.

When he first saw me crying he wanted to offer me a tissue which is actually incredibly sweet and gentlemanly of him – and by the way that is such rare behavior; you can't expect that of a lot of guys these days, especially those smelly idiots at my school.

And what did I do after he offered me a tissue? - I had bitten him.

Above all he offered me his handkerchief as well so I could clean up after we landed in the sand. - I had flipped him off and left.

The second time we met I threw my phone at the area that hurt dudes the most. He wasn't even angry at me and asked me to stay to converse with him but I got scared and ran away like a little child.

Oh, the shame! I was actually raised better than that and prided myself for being polite but I was so far from polite towards him. He must think I'm not right in the head.

"_Yeah Ai, that's why you don't have friends…"_ the sarcastic voice in my head said.

He even offered me his personal handkerchief after I bit him and insulted him! If that isn't the nicest most patient dude I had ever met in my life-

-Wait a minute…

His handkerchief!

I couldn't remember handing it back to him.

_Did i-_

I shot up from the bed like a cannon and rushed to my closet, searching for my jigglypuff pajama I was wearing the first time I met him.

_There it is!_

Finally I rummaged around in the pockets and gingerly pulled out the soft piece of fabric I was looking for.

The handkerchief in my hand was made out of a fabric so soft and so noble-looking that I unwittingly handled it like a raw egg. It was cream colored and had a slight shine to it - most likely very expensive satin. The initials _K.H._ were painted at the bottom of a corner in gold cursive letters. I gently brushed my thumb over the letters when it hit me.

I didn't even know his name. I should give it back to him and apologize for my rude behavior. But where will I find him? Will he be at the playground tonight again?

Quickly I made up my mind, got up and carefully folded the handkerchief, putting it in my pocket.

I'm just going out to check if he happens to be there. It looked so precious that I couldn't bear not giving it back to him. It was the least I could do.

With that in mind I gathered my pepper spray, my keys and my phone and sneaked downstairs and out of the house.

* * *

Thank you to **GinaSurreal** for yet another lovely comment! I hope this chapter is somewhat enjoyable :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

I looked at my phone. It was already 1 am, it was unlikely she'd come now. I should probably just head home.

Slightly disappointed, I got up from my spot and walked up the stairs that lead away from the park. I checked my phone for any messages at the same time.

Tono was spamming up our group chat again. The amount of emojis he sent was just as obnoxious as you'd expect him to be.

That idiot.

Just as I climbed up the stairs, distracted with my phone, I collided with something full force. I heard an 'oof' uttered by the _something_ I collided with and felt myself fall backwards due to the blow. In complete shock I dropped my phone.

With widened eyes I reflexively held on to the railing for dear life, trying to prevent myself from flying down an entire flight of stairs and possibly breaking my neck. In the meantime I felt a pair of small hands clinging to my right arm, forcefully pulling me forwards. Luckily I was able to regain my footing with my own effort and the person's support.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry! Are you alright? That was so close…" I heard a frantic female voice ramble. Still in shock I picked up my phone from the ground and squinted my eyes a bit to see her face more clearly in the darkness.

"Pinky?" I muttered perplexed.

"Uh-yeah," she voiced out feebly. "Sorry 'bout that. I really didn't see you there. I'm so sorry, that was really close-"

"It's fine, calm down. I'm okay," I reassured her when I sensed her slight panic.

Just now I noticed we were standing quite close together and she was still clinging at my arm.

Pinky, upon realizing the same thing, abruptly dropped my arm and took several steps back as if she was afraid to catch a highly contagious disease from me. The horrified look on her face was highly amusing.

For a moment I paused to take in her appearance. As usual she was dressed in her pajama, this time a blue striped two-piece with her curly black hair tied up in a ponytail, just like I remembered.

I smiled involuntarily.

"How come I'm always in immediate physical danger whenever I'm around you, Pinky?", I asked her, mildly amused by the situation despite my almost-death experience just now. And she actually laughed slightly at the ridiculousness and truth of my statement to which I had to join her.

It was kind of nice to see her laugh and smile. The only expressions I had seen on her face before were sadness, when she was crying that time, and her resting scowl which she seemed to wear a lot around me.

"Are you about to leave?" Pinky asked almost timidly.

I nodded. "I was about to when I thought you wouldn't show up anymore," I admitted.

"Oh, I- you were looking for me?" she expressed her surprise.

"Yes, sure. I kind of feel like we started off on the wrong foot and thought that we could maybe just begin afresh," I explained to her.

She nodded, guilt apparent on her face. "Uhm yeah, about that-"

_Oh no._

Was she going to turn her back on me already? Was I too much?

I was sure she'd at least give it a chance and had never thought about the possibility of my personality being a little too overbearing for others. For the most part I thought I was quite normal when I stood together with the craziness that was the Host Club members.

Usually people wanted to be friends with me. I was popular in school, even with the male population. Yet here I am, questioning myself for the umpteenth time in recent months if the friends I made at school were all due to the shallow influences of the prestige and popularity of the Host Club coupled with my family name and my looks.

Would all these people like me or even talk to me if I had none of those things?

I couldn't help the feeling of disappointment crawling up. Here fate gave me the perfect chance to befriend a commoner who knew of none of those things other than my appearance and I still failed.

"I promise, I'm not as annoying as you think I am," I tried to convince her as a last resort, of course, not desperate at all.

Her eyes widened. "Oh no, that's not what I meant at all, I actually wanted to apologize properly to you," she explained, completely surprising me in return.

"I wanted to apologize - you know - for attacking you, insulting you and when I ran away the last time when you teased me. I'm not usually this hypersensitive or rude, I swear. You just -kind of caught me on really bad days…" she said abashed and rueful.

"Oh," I uttered eloquently.

Now, _that_, I didn't expect.

"It's alright. We all have those days, don't we?" I assured her.

"And that's not all," she continued. "I wanted to thank you as well, for trying to help me and still being nice to me, regardless of my behaviour."

I laughed. "You don't have to thank me; my help has sort of backfired hasn't it?"

She joined my laughter. "Kind of but the intention was very nice," she said in a quieter voice then proceeded to pull something out of her pant pockets.

"Actually…I came here in hopes of seeing you as well. There is something I wanted to give back to you," she told me and opened her hand to reveal my neatly folded handkerchief.

"Oh," I exclaimed. "I forgot about that. You could've kept that, it's just a handkerchief," I said casually, shrugging my shoulders.

She shook her head, took my hand and placed the handkerchief there. "It looks expensive; I would've felt awful if I kept it. So take it and thank you for offering it to me - that was very considerate of you."

I smiled. "Sure anytime, you're welcome."

She returned my smile Now that all that was out of the way she started to shuffle around awkwardly, directing her gaze to the ground, clearly uncomfortable and not knowing what to say next.

Taking pity on poor Pinky I took the initiative. "So how about we start anew? I think after our chaotic meetups we might as well be best buddies," I suggested lightly.

She giggled. "Sure, sounds like an idea," she agreed and took my peace-offering hand in hers.

"Well then, hey, I'm Kaoru. Fancy meeting you here," I introduced myself enthusiastically while shaking her hand in an exaggerated and swinging way.

"Nice to meet you as well, my name is Ai Linh but I prefer just Ai," she responded slight amusement shining in her brown eyes.

And something told me that this would be the start of a very interesting friendship.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

„So your favorite color is not dark blue but sky blue and you're eighteen? You look young."

"I know. Can't help the baby face."

"What school do you go to?"

"Erm, Roppongi High…Kaoru, what is this? 20 Questions?", Pinky asked exasperatedly.

After our peace-making yesterday we decided to meet at our usual spot and our usual time again. I had been asking her the most banal questions for the past twenty minutes or so and the reason was – I had no idea what to say.

Last time when I was at Mori-senpai's, he and Ina-senpai suggested I talk to her lots because she was most likely a less talkative person but at the same time I wasn't supposed to ask personal questions because she was a private person on top of that and it would probably scare her off. Therefore I decided to play it safe and addressed the most mundane things that came to my mind but somehow she seemed sort of bored by that.

So what am I gonna do now?

"Uh yeah, why not? We're supposed to get to know each other - that's how friendships work, right?"

"I guess, but you're the only one asking questions and I'm not sure if my favorite color and candy are that interesting. Aren't your questions a bit trite?"

Oh. She wanted to ask questions as well? Didn't think of that…

Maybe I took Ina-senpai's advice a bit too seriously. I didn't want to make it seem like I expected her to talk or anything that's why I asked her all this stuff.

However I thought her answers to be interesting even though the questions were mundane. I'd like to think that I had found out a lot about her.

For example I knew that she listened to music whenever she needed to relax. Because of her quiet nature I expected that she'd only enjoy quiet music but it turned out that her music taste was unexpectedly grand and diverse. She enjoyed acoustic, pop, jazz, soul, RnB, Hip hop and even alternative rock and classical music. Additionally she sang in the choir at school and learned to play the piano since she was six years old because of her mother.

Cooking was another thing she enjoyed. It was something that she had only recently learned which she thought to be ironic since her parents were great at cooking and her mom owned a little family restaurant.

I found out that she was half Vietnamese and half Cantonese. Her name was Vietnamese. The name Ai had the same meaning in Vietnamese and Japanese. Love. And her second name Linh meant soul or spirit. But she preferred to be called Ai for short.

Her best friend's name is Misaki and she spoke extremely fondly of her. So she must be very important to her. I decided I would ask her more about Misaki later; it would be interesting to know what kind of people she usually hung out with.

I was snapped out of my thoughts when Pinky started to snap her fingers in front of my face to get my attention.

"Earth to Kaoru. Is someone in there?" She raised an eyebrow at me.

"Yeah, sorry I was just in thought."

"You don't say."

"So you want to ask me questions? Ask away," I invited.

"What school do you go to and where do you live? I've never seen you at my school and you must live somewhere close here, right?"

Right. I was still keeping up the commoner-boy act.

"I'm from Ourin Public School and live in Nishi-Azabu, it's a thirteen minute walk from my place to here," I lied smoothly.

She frowned in thought. "You go to Ourin?"

"Uh. Yeah," I answered as if it was the most obvious thing ever when in reality I was nervously sweating underneath. Did she see through my lie somehow?

"But why would you go to a school in Bunkyo which is about seventeen minutes away with the car when there are several high schools located here within walking distance?", she asked confused.

Could she be less observant and logical for once? I chose Ourin as my school since it was close to Ouran and in hopes that I would feel a little less bad for lying to her. Now I needed to think of an answer to her perfectly logical question. Damn this girl and her stupid logic.

"My friends go to that school. I wanted to be closer to them and don't mind the little drive to school," I answered. There that should do it. Not unreasonable, right?

"Oh ok." She nodded in understanding.

_Thank god…_

I resisted the urge to sigh in relief.

"You know, we should meet at a different hour sometime," I said thoughtfully, trying to steer the conversation into safer waters.

"Hmm? Why?", she asked.

"It would feel less illegal and shady when we don't meet past midnight all the time."

She laughed and I grinned. I enjoyed, making her laugh.

"I want to be more than your dirty little secret. Guys want options too, you know?", I joked.

She giggled and I smiled at the sound.

"What? You don't enjoy being my dirty little secret?", she asked shocked, placing a hand above her heart as if she'd been badly injured.

I winked at her and couldn't resist a smirk. "Nice as it is, Pinky. I fear someone might see us at some point and suspect that we deal with drugs or something. Although I'm sure you must be involved in some shady business with pajamas I don't want you to get caught. This is all about your well-being, hun."

Her eyes were brimming with amusement.

"We should at least not do it all the time. I'm not too fond of the idea of you going out at this time anyways," I added on a more serious note. She should be more careful; there are crazy people out there.

"Yeah right, wouldn't want to run into more weirdos like you. One of you is already more than I can handle," she said easily.

I pouted. "Oh please, you love me, Pinky."

"Sure," she replied sarcastically.

I put a hand on my heart. "You wound me, Pinky."

"You know, I should come to your school some time and show everyone how dear I am to you," I declared and shot her a charming smile while placing my arm around her shoulder.

Her eyes widened. "You wouldn't."

I raised an eyebrow at her challengingly. "Try me."

She shoved my arm off of her shoulder and smacked me. "Don't you dare, you prick! You're going to attract so much attention and school is already hell I don't need any more attention."

"First of all, ow!", I exclaimed, rubbing my arm indignantly. "And second of all, what's wrong with attention and why is school hell?"

"First of all, you had it coming and second of all, everything is wrong with attention. I don't want it and I certainly don't need it and school is hell because I hate everyone there other than Misaki."

"Alright alright. I'm not going to come visit you at school. Geez, woman."

She looked at me suspicion in her eyes. "Swear," she demanded.

I held up my hands in mock exasperation. "I solemnly swear that I won't come to your school," I said with my hands still in the air; unbeknownst to her I kept my toes crossed.

'_I know where I'll spend my time tomorrow,' _I thought devilishly.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

To my surprise Kaoru and I got along really well yesterday and that's saying something because I'm really not good with people. I was the kind of person who needed a lot of time to warm up to others but it was unexpectedly easy to be around him. Something that I really liked about him was that he talked a lot when I ran out of ideas, which was great because it left no room for awkward silence.

He was funny, kind and witty, always had a joke or a good comeback in hand to lighten the atmosphere. It was just nice to be around someone who was so optimistic. True, he was sort of annoying and a handful but he was able to keep my mind off of serious matters just for a moment and that's something I really appreciated…Not that I would tell him that though, he was already too smug for his own good.

Well, anyways, enough with the friendship thoughts and time to get back to business.

I was currently at home from school, heating up a pot of Chinese cabbage soup that I prepared yesterday, at the same time I flipped over a scallion omelet. I had some freshly-cooked rice ready in the rice cooker and my parents should come home anytime soon. They always had a break from three pm to five pm and came home completely spent; only able to quickly have lunch and to take a short nap before hurrying back to work until eleven pm. I, on the other hand, had cram school from four pm to eight pm so I could only stay for another hour.

I heard the car, pulling up in the drive way and greeted my parents from the kitchen when I heard them coming through the door.

"Hey mom, Hi dad!"

"Hello," my mom and dad said simultaneously.

"Smells good," my mom said when she stepped into the kitchen with a bag of groceries.

"Thanks."

Dad came in and I gave him a kiss on the cheek before flipping the omelet on a plate. I scooped up some soup with the ladle, filling up a large bowl we could all share from.

"Could you take out three bowls and chopsticks and set the table, dad?"

"Sure," he grumbled.

When we all sat down at the table quietly eating, mom said: "Your cooking got better. The soup and omelet are delicious."

Dad hummed in agreement and proceeded to shove some rice into his mouth.

"Thanks, I'm glad you enjoy it. How was work?"

"We didn't have too many customers today," mom said, sighing in frustration. She rubbed her face tiredly and I noticed how much older she looked these days.

Throughout the week our family restaurant sometimes had a mediocre inrush of customers although it was fairly well-visited on weekends.

"Oh, I'm sure there will be more customers this evening," I said comfortingly.

She nodded absentmindedly. "How was school?"

"Okay."

"You've got cram school today?"

"Yes."

"Make sure to study hard, don't go out and waste your time by going to Misaki's so much. Your test results last year were awful. Tell your cram school teachers to give you more study material and mock exams but focus on the University Entrance Exam, it's the most important. Have you already selected possible Universities? The more you apply to the better. You better pass or else your future is heading south, are we clear?"

My entire body tensed up and I resisted releasing a strenuous sigh. Now that I was a senior in High School, this conversation came up every time my mother and I were occupying the same room. "Yes, mother," I answered dutifully like always.

"And workout. Are you doing enough exercises? You're always so lazy. Don't eat too much, you're already so fat. You know that you can't get married looking like this," my mom nagged.

She grabbed my upper arm, pinching it and shook her head like she couldn't believe the size of it. I ripped my arm away from her, unnerved and upset.

My father decided to chime in at this point. "You're already eighteen, you must lose weight now. You're going to stay ugly if you don't lose weight. Young girls have to be slim and pretty, look at your older sister."

This time I didn't hold back a sigh and wordlessly got up, picking up my half-full bowl of rice.

"Eat up your rice, where are you going?" mom called after me as I was heading to the kitchen. I rolled my eyes.

_No thanks, I lost my appetite._

"I'm heading to cram school," I announced, swallowing back my anger and embarrassment while putting my bowl in the microwave to save it for dinner.

_As if I'm going to stay here, listening to this any longer, woman._

Was it _that_ impossible to occupy the same room with my parents without having them start picking me apart by my appearance and grades?

I knew the answer to that: Yes, it was impossible.

"But it's still early?" mom questioned me when I was about to head upstairs to gather my school stuff.

"I'm gonna pick up Misaki, we'll quickly go through some homework at hers," I lied.

When I got to my room I packed my school bag and headed downstairs. I mumbled a quick goodbye and rushed out of the house before my parents could say anything else.

Finally, I took a deep breath when I reached fresh air and slowed my pace. My head felt like it could combust any minute. Lately it was getting more and more unbearable to stay at home.

'_It will be over soon, it will be over soon…' _I chanted in my head repeatedly to calm myself.

Seriously, was there a day in my life that didn't suck ever since this year started? If so I really couldn't remember.

But regardless, I continued walking.

From home to my cram school it was a mere five minute walk. Of course I had lied to my parents about going to Misaki's. She was currently having lunch with her boyfriend Makoto and I'd see her later at four in class.

By the time I arrived at my cram school, I was about thirty minutes early and aimlessly ghosted around in the empty hallways. After a while I decided to go to the bathroom to fix myself up a little. When I had left the house I was in such a hurry to escape my parents that I didn't even check if I looked half-way presentable for public.

I walked up to the mirrors and pulled out my vanity bag, setting it on the sink.

_What do we have here…mascara. _

I applied one layer to my lashes; careful not to poke the applicator into my eye (I really had the tendency to do that). Then I snatched the BB cushion out of the bag, trying to hide my blemishes and the dark circles under my eyes which were apparent due to my pesky insomnia.

_Let's see…what else could I do? Oh yeah, can't forget the lips!_

I decided for a natural soft pink lipstick. It was a Chanel Rouge Allure lipstick that my sister-in-law gifted to me for my birthday. I applied it sparingly, wanting to keep everything sophisticated and subtle because I always ended up looking like a clown if I attempted any other make-up technique.

After I was done I glanced at my reflection critically.

_That won't do, Ai._

My hair was up in a ponytail, I decided to put it down for a change. It had grown really long and my curls reached my stomach. I ran my hands though the lengths several times in an attempt to straighten them out a bit - to no avail of course – they stubbornly bounced back in place straightaway.

Mom hated my curly hair; she always wanted to cut it all off so I tied it up again, annoyed with the sight of my hair.

Gazing at my face in the mirror I took a few steps back, turning around to see how my appearance looked in different angles.

My face was too chubby, I noticed. It was always too chubby, I was fat after all. My arms were way too big. It was spring so our school uniform blouse had short sleeves but since my arms looked disturbingly big I put the cardigan on despite the heat. I took a further step back to take in my entire outfit from head to toe. The dark-blue, plaid school skirt reached slightly above the knee and it was dress code to wear it along with black knee socks. I pulled down the skirt a little to cover my thick thighs.

Eventually I took a moment just standing straight, looking at the person in the mirror with disgust. I let out a long strained breath.

'_That's it. About the best I can do,' _I thought in disappointment and shrugged my shoulders at my own reflection.

No make-up could fix this. It was just make-up after all and not a miracle-maker.

Then the bell interrupted my thoughts and I quickly zipped my vanity bag shut and shoved it back inside my school bag.

Time to go to class…

**~ O ~**

"Gosh, when is it over?"

"Soon."

"How soon?"

"Soon."

"Yeah, but how soon?"

"Psst."

"Don't 'Psst' me. When is it over?"

"Shut up, Misaki, I'm trying to solve this damn differential equation. Get your phone out if you wanna know so badly."

We were currently in our last class at cram school, which was math, my weakest subject. Misaki was being impatient and cranky while getting on my nerves.

"No way am I gonna get my phone out while Hitler-Hirota is in the same room, do I look like I have a death wish? And since when do you care about equations?" she whispered.

I sighed, laying down my pencil and proceeded to shove my wristwatch under her nose so she could check the time and shut the hell up.

"Since I plan to get into University and since my mom is breathing down my neck. By the way, Hitler-Hirota looks way more relaxed nowadays, I think he's pitying us because we're about to face the _death-exam_. I mean look at his outfit, this is the first time I've seen him not dressed as a civil war general, he must be in a good mood."

Misaki snorted which resulted in a number of other students turning to us with a 'Psst!' to which my best friend merely rolled her eyes.

A quick explanation to the ignoramus, Hirota-sensei alias Hitler-Hirota, was the math teacher at our exam preparation cram school. As his nickname suggests he isn't one of the most popular teachers. He was an old, hard-headed and strict teacher that all students feared. But a thing no one could deny was that he was brilliant at math and knew how to get one through the subject. And that's ultimately what mattered to all the students here. To get through the subjects in order to pass the _'death-exam', _as Misaki and I liked to call it. Otherwise it was also known as Japan's annual, notoriously hard 'National Center Test for University Examination';_also called Sentā Shiken for short_. I know a mouthful, right? And yes, the exam was just as arduous as the long name insinuated it to be.

"That's it class, you may go home now. All tasks from page 110 to 120 are to prepare for the next lesson. Have a nice evening and study hard!" Hitler-Hirota's cold voice resounded in the class room.

When Misaki and I packed our stuff and hurried out of the building, I heard someone call after me.

"Ai-chan!"

I halted in my step and turned around to see my 'friend' Yui catching up to me. She gave me a hug.

"Hey Yui," I greeted, and she strolled alongside us.

"Hey! Oof! Class was so tiring, right? I'm glad when this is all over even though Hitler-Hirota seems to be in a better mood these days. Oh hey, Misaki."

I heard Misaki mutter a 'Hi'.

"Yeah, me too," I agreed, offering her a polite smile.

Yui was going to a different High School in Azabu, she went to Shoei Girls' school. We only knew each other through cram school. One could describe her as a nice enough girl but she had a habit of being clingy and petty at the same time.

Yui was what I would call a _convenient friend_. You know the one who explained things to you in class in case you didn't understand and would help you out with homework. The one you sat next to in class and during lunch when your best friend was sick so you wouldn't be lonely and bored. You know guys, the kind of friend you would go out with and have trivial conversation with, occasionally going to their birthday party but in the back of your head you knew you wouldn't see or hear a word of them after finishing high school.

Yeah. Yui was that kind of a friend. I had a few of those. My only _real_ friend was Misaki and Misaki didn't bother to lead those kinds of friendships. To me they were useful though despite being slightly bothersome.

"I wanted to give you this invitation, Ai-chan. It's for my birthday party; it would be cool if you could come. Akira, Chiyo and Daisuke are gonna come along with the usual suspects," she giggled as if she had just told the funniest joke of the century. Taking pity on her I fake-giggled along when she handed me the invitation.

I heard Misaki snort at my side and I elbowed her in the gut, making sure we were turned a certain way so Yui couldn't see.

"Of course, sounds like fun!", I said overtly cheerful.

"Great it will take place at my home next week. It's gonna be great, I'm going to wear this new dress I bought and make sure that Daisuke only has eyes for me!" she rattled off excitedly.

"Yay!" I said.

Misaki next to me was just taking a sip of her water bottle and choked on it, trying to hold in a laugh. I stepped on her foot while she was trying to calm down.

Yui looked at Misaki worriedly. "Are you alright, Misaki?"

I slapped Misaki on her back, harder than necessary, daring her to say anything stupid.

"_*cough*_ I'm fine, no worries. _*cough*_", she grinded out and winced quietly at the harsh back slaps.

"Oh okay," Yui giggled. "Well then, I'll see you two. Gotta head home, maybe I'll still catch Daisuke on my way."

She skipped away from us.

"And off she goes, hihihi!" Misaki giggled obnoxiously in a high pitched voice.

I gave her a dirty look but couldn't hide my smile at the same time. "Shut up, Misaki."

"Alright alright." she relented, laughing. "I don't get how you can stand her and the _usual suspects,_" she said, making air quotations with her fingers when she addressed the _"usual suspects"._

"Although annoying they're useful and nice enough," I explained simply. "You weren't complaining when I wrote off of Akira's homework and let you have it as well."

"I guess but I don't know how you do it. I'd have no energy to go to their shitty birthday parties."

I shrugged. "I just do what's necessary to keep 'em around. You act like they're the worst people ever. They aren't _that_ bad."

She rolled her eyes. "I know but they're still annoying, especially Yui. Could she be any more vexatious?"

Misaki had disliked Yui since middle school. They were somewhat friends back then and Yui was a tattletale and couldn't keep anything to herself. Upon realizing that and finding out about Yui's tendency to gossip behind people's back, Misaki avoided her like the plague.

I merely shrugged my shoulders to her question. Yui just was who she was I guess…

"Oh no…there she comes again and she brought the other bitches. What now?" Misaki groaned exasperated.

I looked up in surprise and sure enough saw Yui rushing towards me, Akira and some other girls in tow. All of them were wide eyed and flushed, speeding towards me.

"What's going on?" I asked, leaning towards Misaki, confused at their frazzled appearance.

Misaki shrugged her shoulders, equally puzzled. "No, idea."

"Ai!" the girls yelled simultaneously, each clinging to my arms tightly when they reached me.

"What? What!?" I asked, slightly panicked now and somehow expected the worst. Did something happen to my family? Did someone die?

"Guy *huff* outside *huff* *huff* you!", Akira tried to explain.

I looked at her perplexed.

"Deep breaths," I said calmly and demonstrated for them to breathe in and out. They followed my advice. After they'd cooled down a little I asked: "Better?" To which they nodded their heads eagerly.

"Now, what do you want to tell me."

In the next second they started spewing out random words at the same time. It was chaotic.

I held up my hands. "Shut up!" And they turned silent immediately.

I pointed to Akira. "You. Tell me what on earth is going on."

She took a deep breath and babbled away. "There's a guy outside at the school gates, looking for you. He has been asking everyone if you were at school and he has a big picture of you and everything and-"

"Ok," I replied, holding a hand up to stop her.

Why is there someone looking for me? He even had a photo of me. Was it the police, a bounty hunter? Did I do something illegal without knowing?

"What guy? How does he look like?"

They all started talking in circles again and everything just turned into a volley of words until I decided I had enough and snapped my fingers in front of their faces, irritated, to get their attention.

"Hey, you guys shut the front door! I meant Akira, not everyone at once! Jesus Christ, am I talking to toddlers…" I sighed, rubbing my face, annoyed.

"He's really tall and handsome. He looks like a GQ model and he has red hair and pale skin and really really beautiful eyes. He's so hot and he looks sexy even though he's wearing casual clothes," Akira breathed.

My eyes widened step by step during her description and were about to pop out of their sockets by the end of it.

Oh no…he didn't.

I balled my hands into fists. "**I'LL KILL HIM!**" I screamed, and all the girls, even Misaki, backed away in fear. I thought I even heard one of the girls release a whimper but I couldn't care less at the moment.

_Someone's going to get murdered today._

I parted through groups of students, not caring who I rammed into or knocked over on my way.

"Out of my sight!" I snarled at innocent unsuspecting people. The ones who wanted to complain about being pushed were instantly muted upon seeing my glare. Someone grabbed my shoulder and stopped me on my way. I snapped my head back, aggravated. It was Daisuke.

"Hey Ai, there's some weird guy out there looking for you. There's quite a commotion over there…"

"I know," I growled in a low voice.

He immediately released my shoulder as if he just received an electric shock, his eyes widening fearfully at my dangerous tone. "Uh-uhm, well I'll see you - see you around then…" he concluded and fled from my sight.

When I reached the school's front yard I saw a sea of females giggling excitedly and some guys curiously gazing over the girls' shoulders, wanting to know who caused all this hustle and bustle.

I continuously heard exclamations like "who's that", "he's so hot" and "what's going on" from onlookers in passing. Immediately I knew it had to be him.

Impatiently I fought everyone at sight to get to the front; I even saw a few of my female teachers whispering excitedly on my way through. _What the heck!?_

His back was turned to me when I was finally able to get past the sea of females.

"You guys still think she's here?" the royal jackass asked, holding up an enormous gold-framed (!) picture of my face. So big, that even the shortsighted folks could see it with a hundred percent clear vision. That idiot had the audacity to hold it up like a sign and turned it around like he was some demonstrating citizen on a march! All the blood drained from my face. Everyone at my cram school saw this goddamn picture. Everyone.

I took deep cleansing breaths in an attempt to lower my blood pressure.

The royal asshead turned around, his eyes moved past me only to halt for a minute and turn back to where I was, his expression lightened up when he spotted me.

"Ah! Hey, Ai! There you are! I was looking for… … …uh-oh."

_Uh-Oh is right, you bastard!_

His face immediately fell when he saw my expression and his eyes widened when that pea brain of him realized the danger he was in right now.

He held out a hand cautiously. "Now, let me explain this. Let's not do anything rash that we're going to regret later," he said nervously, trying to persuade me slowly, like he was asking an aggressive mutt not to eat him.

I slowly took a few steps forward. "Oh, I'm not the one of us two who's going to regret anything today, Prince Harry," I said in an eerily sweet tone.

Sheer panic came up on his face and there was sweat gathering on his forehead.

_That's right, you better be scared!_

He caught himself for a moment, his expression neutralizing from one second to another which baffled me and distracted me from my fury. _Why wasn't he cowering in fear?_

_Asshole_ turned to some girl close by. "Excuse me, princess?" He dazzled her with a million-dollar smile.

Said girl started hyperventilating when she realized he was talking to her. He held her hand and all the girls around started swooning. "Would you be so kind and do me a favor? Could you hold onto this beautiful masterpiece and keep it safe for me for a while?"

The girl was completely dazzled and couldn't bring out a word. All she could do was nod, open-mouthed, while holding onto my ridiculously enlarged gold-framed (!) photograph that he had handed to her.

"Thank you. I'll pick it up later; just stay here for the meantime, okay?" he requested kindly, winking at her. The girl nodded dumbly.

Then asshead stretched and cracked his knuckles. It was eerily silent for a second and all of a sudden before I could even blink he bolted away in the other direction, running for his life.

_Oh no, not like that you filthy…_

I sprinted after him as fast as I could. "**Stay here, you little shit! I'M GONNA KILL YOU!**"

To my surprise I was able to catch up to him. I was close on his tail and heard him curse under his breath. "Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!"

"Let me explain, Ai!"

_The hell I'm gonna do!_

When I was close enough to him I leaped forward, jumping on his back. He released an 'AH!' as he fell to the ground. I sat on his back and to my satisfaction heard him groan in pain.

We were both completely out of breath but I decided that I didn't inflict enough pain yet, it just wasn't enough for the embarrassment I had to face due to him. I made sure to put my entire weight on his back and smacked him on the back of his shoulder.

"Ow! It wasn't even that bad! It's a nice picture, what's your problem?!"

I smacked him again, harder this time. I'm about to shove that picture up his royal anus.

"I wanted to hang out with you and brought the picture in order to find you more easily by asking your peers and teachers of you whereabouts."

I smacked the back of his head and he winced. "You wanted to find me so you went to my school, embarrassing me in front of the entire student body by causing a scene, and brought a life-size picture of me that you framed in freaking gold!?" I yelled outraged.

"I'm sorry…" he voiced out feebly in the end to which I huffed irritated.

"You promised you wouldn't come to my school!"

"Well technically, I didn't come to your actual school. It's not Roppongi High. You said nothing about your _cram school_," he answered innocently.

I smacked him several times for his audacity to be such an idiot.

"…Sorry…" he muttered weakly.

I heard quick footsteps running towards us. It was Misaki.

She looked at me alarmingly. It must be quite a sight, me sitting on top of that idiot while he was lying face down on the ground, completely defeated.

"Could someone explain to me what on earth is going on here!?" she asked incredulous with her voice rising up a few octaves at the end.

Idiot raised his face from the ground and looked up at an exhausted Misaki.

"Oh, you must be Misaki. I heard great things about you. It's nice to officially meet you," Kaoru said conversationally, making it seem like the situation he was in right now was an entirely normal everyday occurrence. Somehow he managed to stretch out his hand for her to shake while I was still sitting on top of him.

Misaki reluctantly and completely bewildered took his outstretched hand in greeting. She looked at me expectantly.

"Misaki that's his royal idiocy, Kaoru; Prince Harry - you royal pain in my ass - that's Misaki," I introduced curtly.

She looked like I had lost my mind and maybe I had judging by my action but at the moment I couldn't care less.

"You didn't tell her about me? I'm hurt, Pinky," Kaoru complained under me.

"What good would that do, idiot?" I finally got up and dusted myself off, not bothering to offer Kaoru a hand.

I looked at Misaki. "I'll explain to you on our way back. I dropped off my bag on the school ground when I chased after this fool. It's a really long story."

"Yeah, I still need to get my picture back from that girl," Kaoru, who was on all fours and about to get up, chimed in.

I pressed him to the ground with my foot just for good measure.

* * *

Hey guys, I hope this chapter is enjoyable.

Thank you to** GinaSurreal **for the comment, I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter. Actually Ai is kind of on Kaoru's tail already, Kaoru isn't as inconspicuous as he thinks he is but you'll figure out what her reaction will be at a later point in the story ;)

Thanks to **Animadow** for the kind comment! I'll try my best.

And another thank you to **OtakuSierra26** and **wierdunusualchick** for the follow. It is greatly appreciated.

Lots of love to everyone!


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

On our way back I had told Misaki everything about my encounter with Kaoru. In true Misaki-fashion she full on laughed in our faces. After that Kaoru admitted to me that he wasn't sure if he liked her.

At that point I wasn't sure if I liked her as well.

I got my school bag back and Kaoru retrieved my picture from that girl, who still stood at the same spot, slack-jawed. Soon enough Misaki had to depart from us because she had a date with Makoto. When she bid goodbye to us she couldn't resist giving me a meaningful look, suggestively wagging her eyebrows at me, which meant she would grill me about Kaoru and I knew she would make the conversation as uncomfortable as possible. I gracefully gave her the bird and she laughed in my face again. I really knew how to choose my friends…

Kaoru was currently accompanying me home. I still considered strangling him. Now was the best opportunity to do so because the streets were pretty much empty at the moment and there were no possible witnesses. I could hide his body in one of the bushes at the side. No one would know. But if someone caught wind of the murder and I was to become a convict, my sister's reputation as a probationary judge would possibly be highly disputed.

Well then, for the sake of my sister's post I should refer from committing a crime even if it was for the greater good…

"You look like you're planning a murder," Kaoru stated nervously, carefully observing my facial expression.

"I was considering it but it would taint my sister's reputation as a judge and we can't have that, she already gets raised eyebrows only because she is a woman in the field. You may thank her for saving your life," I replied casually.

"Oh?" He looked extremely surprised. "So your sister is actually a judge? I thought you were joking the first time we met and you threatened to put me in jail."

"Yeah, she's a judge. Why is that such a surprise to you?" I asked defensively.

Here was something I needed to explain. I loved Japan, it was my home. A country with amazing, breathtaking culture but there were certain things about Japan that many foreigners seemed to be ignorant about. It was no Disneyland. It was a country with problems like any other but it was still more conservative than actually necessary and one of the most unnecessary things here was the extreme gender inequality.

While I couldn't really identify as an extreme feminist or a very political person, I was also not someone who could turn a blind eye to injustice.

My sister, who was young and just recently started working in the law field, was often disregarded by co-workers and the likes, which was ridiculous because she must be the most hard-working and competent person I knew, next to my mother. The surprise or disdain she received from others when they realized she was a woman in a leading position was completely undeserved. If Kaoru was going to be one of those people I would have no interest to surround myself with him any further.

He noticed my fierce expression. "Wait, calm down. It wasn't meant in a discriminating way. I was surprised for a different reason. It's really cool that she's a judge," he said gently.

I cooled myself. "Sorry. It's a sore subject. My sister faces discrimination every single day. She is a judge at regional court and she is one of the very few women of higher authority there. Basically she is surrounded by old sexist men who doubt her because of her gender twenty-four-seven. She's strong and tries not to show it but they really make things difficult for her."

He observed me for a moment. "You really care about her."

I nodded. "Of course, she's my sister."

"I'm sorry your sister has to face discrimination like that, it's terrible. Things should be different here in Japan. Tell your sister not to listen to those conservative old pigs, they'll die eventually."

I looked at him, searching for a trace of dishonesty on his face. It was hard to ignore my distrust around people. Over time it had just become a part of me, especially when it came to males but when I looked at Kaoru all I could find was open-minded sincerity in those amber eyes. I was relieved to see it and it certainly granted him loads of sympathy points.

"Yes, it should," I agreed.

"What law field is she in?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"Civil law, though she wants to switch to criminal law after her probation is over," I explained.

"Which region does your sister work for?" he inquired further.

"She's active here in the Kanto region around Tokyo, her office is in Bunkyo," I replied.

He nodded in understanding.

"Well, then I'm glad we have a great judge here in Tokyo. It makes this big city feel a lot safer."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "You don't even know her. How would you know if she's competent as a judge?"

Kaoru simply shrugged. "Well, the way you talk about her makes it apparent that you have a high opinion of her. And if you think she is great then she really must be."

I snorted. "What makes you think my opinion can be trusted?"

And then he continued to hand me the most unexpected answer.

"Everything about you; the look on your face, the way you talk, especially about Misaki and your sister. You may not realize it but you talk very fondly of them, it just shows me how much you care. Just now you looked so passionate when you were talking about the injustice your sister had to face. You were mad at her behalf. It makes me think you are a trustworthy and compassionate person. My intuition when it comes to people had never failed me as well," he finished with a mere shrug of his shoulder.

I was baffled by his words. He sounded so assured and confident, like it was the most obvious thing ever. I had honestly expected him to bust out a joke like always, not to actually take the question seriously. When did this conversation turn so serious?

I swear, this guy was giving me such a whiplash. He always appeared so – _unbothered_. And I'm still not sure how I felt about that. One minute he was joking in his usual mischievous and witty manner, the next he was serious like this.

He seemed extroverted but at the same time not? For example when we had quiet moments like these, he noticed small details about me, like the way I felt about Misaki and my sister. The second day we met, he told me I was crying and he wanted me to stay, he knew that I came to the playground when something was bothering me. Sometimes he looked at me like he could read me. There were moments where he appeared to be quiet and in thought and it made me wonder if he was actually introverted, but at the same time the way he carelessly conversed with an entire crowd of people at my school, completely unafraid to be the center of attention - crossed out those thoughts straightaway.

Furthermore I couldn't decide if he was honest with me or not. When he spoke to me like this I wanted to believe that he was one hundred percent sincere, especially his eyes drew me in. There was just something about those eyes - as cheesy as it might sound - it felt like I could gaze into his soul just by looking at them, all the answers were in his amber eyes.

But then he made me doubt him since he insists on selling me that obviously fabricated story of his village boy past, and I knew that _that _had to be a lie. There was just no way that this guy was a common person. Just with the way he carried himself and not to mention the designer wear he wore every time I saw him. I'm too self-educated in fashion; no common boy could afford to be this pampered. So what was the deal with that? Why did he feel the need to lie? Was he a sincere person? Should I trust him?

I mean, he was a nice and considerate person, right? That time he offered me a tissue when I was crying, he always insisted on walking me home so I'll be safe or when he lent me his handkerchief. I honestly hope that those actions weren't part of a lie and that he was actually just this kind and attentive; it would certainly make him a rarity in the male species.

Also, I noticed that he was mentally absent at times. It appeared like he was thinking about larger things in life but before I could blink and decipher his expressions he retreated back to his typical jokes. _How could a person be this immature and mature at the same time?_

Why was he so…_come on…what's the word_… "Contradicting!" I decided, putting my finger in the air at the brainwave I had just received.

Kaoru examined me, startled at my sudden outburst. "What?" he asked bewildered.

I threw my hand over my mouth, flushing. I didn't actually say that out loud, did i?

He looked at me warily.

"Nothing," I said quickly. Maybe he didn't hear the actual word.

_Please god, tell me he missed it._

"Tell me. What's so contradicting?" he pressed persistently.

'_Of course he heard it, that's just my luck. Are you on vacation, God?' _I thought sarcastically, looking up at the sky.

I still shook my head, refusing to tell him. There was an evil gleam in his eyes. "Tell me."

"No."

"Ok, you leave me no choice," he sighed and the mischief on his face deeply concerned me.

Out of nowhere he tackled me and tickled me, I squealed in surprise.

"Tell me!"

"Hahaha, noo! Hahaha" I squeezed out between laughs.

Kaoru chuckled. "Well, guess I'll have to tickle you to death then."

"Oh no, please no more!" I begged, out of breath from laughing. Tears of laughter were streaming down my cheeks.

"Will you tell me?" He tickled my throat.

"Alright, alright!" I gave in when I couldn't take it anymore.

Satisfied with his achievement he let go of me, the amusement still written all over his face. "So?"

I glared at him and wiped my tears with the back of my hand. "Not fair." I pouted.

"You'll live, Pinky. Now tell me," he urged impatiently.

I mustered up all my courage. "I think you have a contradicting personality,"

He looked somber for a minute but the look was gone in the next second and his expression neutralized. "And is that a _bad_ thing?" he asked after a while.

Maybe I'm imagining stuff at this point. I had a habit of overanalyzing certain things but I could swear there was something vulnerable about the way he asked it- almost like he was afraid of my answer, afraid of getting hurt. Was he more vulnerable than he let on? Did he sometimes hide his feelings behind all those jokes and laughs?

I considered his question genuinely and furrowed my eyebrows. Was it a bad thing? It was confusing and it was a lot to handle for sure but was it really bad per se? Wasn't everyone slightly contradictory in their actions? I'm sure I'm guilty of being contradicting as well at times. And because his question seemed sincere I decided on giving him a sincere answer.

"No," I replied. "It's not necessarily a bad thing. It makes you complicated I guess, confusing and annoying even – you're really a handful, Prince Harry - but it also makes you a very interesting person I suppose."

He was definitively interesting, contradictions and all. I didn't think I ever came across a person who was quite like him.

'_Unique' _was the word that came to my mind when I looked at him.

He didn't reply anything and I was wondering if I had pissed him off now. It was sort of rude to judge a person you barely knew. Hopefully I hadn't upset him…

"Are you - uh- mad at me?" I questioned unsure.

He paused for a moment, his face was unreadable. "Would it matter to you?" he asked.

And I hadn't known him for a long time and I still didn't know much about him but…

"Yes, it would. I don't know why and I'm not even sure if it makes any sense, but I really don't want you to be upset with me, I want you to like me…" I confessed.

Immediately after saying it I was mortified. This was so not like me, I must have gone crazy but when I looked up at him a warm, huge smile formed on his face and for a moment I felt all weird inside.

"Then I'm not mad," was his simple answer and he slung his arm around my shoulders while we kept walking.

* * *

Hi guys,

here's another chapter for everyone!

I have to say, I enjoyed writing this one. Ai and Kaoru are slowly trusting each other more and more. I'm currently working on the next chapter and it is really not as fun to write as this one. I love to write KaoruxAi interactions but there's going to be some serious stuff next time and my OC is going to suffer a lot from it (I'm sorry Ai (T_T)). Admittedly those situations are the hardest to write for me but I have a plan and I want to stick to it, so I must finish it.

Before I forget it, thank you to lovely **GinaSurreal** for your always wonderful and thoughtful comments (I love hearing your thoughts on all the situations) and thanks to my other recent reviewers **rsaenz18** and **Lillyannp**. I'm also really grateful for **mossfur23132** and **moonchild-things** for following this story and generally for anyone else who cares to read my bullshit xD.

Hope you enjoy this one and lots of love to everyone!


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

„Hey Hikaru!" I greeted my twin.

He was sitting on his bed, leaning against the headboard. When I came in he shortly lifted his gaze from his Nintendo Switch to look at me.

"Hey, what's up?" he asked distracted.

"I've been thinking," I announced.

He raised his eyebrows, eyes still fixated on his video game. "And that's news how? As far as I'm aware you've been 'thinking' ever since you've been doing your nightly business trips."

I smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of my head nervously. "Yeah well, I came to a conclusion."

He perked up at that. "Conclusion for what?"

My knees were shaking slightly, I was anxious about my brother's reaction to my proposal.

After my talk with Pinky yesterday I finally knew that our friendship would go somewhere. I, for one, wanted to see her again since our first meeting but I wasn't sure if Pinky was quite on board with me. I was genuinely startled when she so boldly tried to assess my personality. She had described me as contradicting, and I knew it was true. To me it was shocking and maybe a little scary how quick she was in realizing that. It wasn't a trait I was too proud of.

But what was even more surprising to me was the answer she gave me when I asked her if she cared whether she had offended me or not.

"_I don't know why and I'm not even sure if it makes any sense, but I really don't want you to be upset with me, I want you to like me…" _

The look of embarrassment on her face told me that she was honest. Usually I would have teased her at that point but her pure sincerity and the slight flush she had on her face when she'd realized what she had told me was so endearing that I couldn't bring myself to do it. Her answer had touched me and I was convinced that Pinky was a sweet, sincere girl.

The reassurance I received from my conversation with Pinky convinced me to share everything I had thought about with Hikaru. Most importantly it finally made me remember what Hikaru had once said to me.

_We are different from others because we are twins; we are no hindrance to one another because we influence each other to become better. In comparison to other normal people we are special because we received the gift to face a future together rather than alone. It is a gift only twins have._

I took a deep breath, facing my brother.

"I want us to spend more time _separately_."

Hikaru finally paused his game and put his Nintendo Switch down next to him. The look on his face ranged from perplexed to distraught. "What do you mean, Kaoru?" he asked, caught off guard.

"Before you freak out," I attempted to calm him. "After graduation we are bound to be separated in some situations, so we might as well start now," I explained.

Apparently that notion didn't help him to relax.

"Kaoru, you're not distancing yourself from me, are you?" he asked anxiously.

I sat down next to him on the bed. "Of course not, Hikaru. This is not about ignoring you or anything. We're still going to spend a lot of time together, I mean we live in the same house, you're my brother."

He sighed and shook his head.

"Kaoru, what are you keeping from me? You've been acting all weird since the school year started," he accused suspiciously.

Of course he'd realize.

"I needed some time. I was sort of going through a crisis. The truth is I was too embarrassed to tell you anything," I admitted.

"You know you can tell me everything. I'm your brother, Kaoru," he voiced out insistently.

"I was scared of what was to come. After the Host Club dissolved nothing felt the same anymore and we still spend a lot of time with the others but it's just odd not to be able to see each other every day like we used to. Mori and Honey are busy with University. Milord is constantly traveling with his father and Kyoya lives in a completely different continent now. Everything was getting serious, everyone was growing up and I still feel like a child, not developing in the slightest. Were you not…anxious about this as well?"

And because I was such a self-centered jerk my biggest wish was for my brother to say _yes_. I wanted him to be just as afraid as I was which was extremely selfish but I couldn't help it. I didn't want to feel alone with my feelings, I needed Hikaru to understand my emotions _like in old times_.

"It scared the hell out of me," he blurted out with a look of shame tracing his face that was so similar to mine.

Like the asshole-brother that I was, I almost sighed in relief.

_What kind of a crappy brother are you, Kaoru? As a good brother you're supposed to take your brother's fears away, why would you want him to endure the same pain that you feel?_

Because I was afraid and I felt lonely, that's why. I hated myself for that but I felt better knowing I wasn't the only one struggling.

"You hid it so well, though," I expressed.

He looked surprised himself. "I can't believe it worked so well to fool you."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

He raised an eyebrow at me. "Why didn't _you_ tell?"

"I told you I was embarrassed," I pointed out.

My twin let out a heavy sigh. "You do too much for me, for us."

I blew out a sarcastic snort. "You're kidding, right? What on earth have I done?" I shook my head silently, partially because I felt disappointed in myself and partially for his ridiculous notion that implied I had achieved anything after all this time.

"No, Hikaru. _You_ are the one of us two who has done a lot. _You_ moved into another bedroom; _you_'ve learned to control your feelings and got more accepting of others and _you_ dyed your hair so others will be able to differentiate us. That's all due to _you _but what have **I** done up to this point?"

"Are you an idiot?" he snapped at me, incredulity in his tone. "Kaoru, only _because of you_ all of this was possible. What do you mean it's not enough!? I would've never had the brains nor the guts to figure all of this stuff out on my own or pull through with it. You've been leading and guiding through every step. Don't you see that!? That's why-" His voice broke and he looked down at his hands, conflicted. "-that's why I didn't tell you. You've done so much for me, Kaoru, it's time for me to be there for you in return. So - as long as you aren't distancing yourself from me, tell me where you need my support. I'm here for you."

I looked at my brother, stunned. I had never seen things this way.

"I want change now" it blurted out of me all of a sudden. "I don't know where it comes from but I'm willing to try different things no matter how scary. I think I really need this. Separate time from you. The fact that we're there for each other will never change and I don't want it to change but at this point our lives are still so intertwined with one another that it's hard to determine if we're living as one or as two individual human beings. And we've still yet to find things that are _truly_ important to us and that we're passionate about. I want to find…myself."

Hikaru looked at me. "You want to make all of those things happen at the split of a second? I get what you want, Kaoru. I do.

But things can't change from one day to another. If you're so set on this to work out as quickly as possible you're only heading for a disaster. I don't want you to be disappointed when things don't turn out as hoped."

"Oh, I'm not expecting for things to change that quickly," I interrupted him soberly. "But I think it's time that we spent time with others. When we're together we're always compared to one another. It's time for others to see us for who we are and it won't come if we don't do anything about it. So -what do you think?"

He considered things for a moment and spoke up. "There's more to this right? The sudden strong determination to do this, I get it, when we start to attend Art School there will be difficulties that we need to face on our own and we won't see our friends all the time. I've considered that as well although maybe not as deliberately as you did. But something must've happened for you to be this sure and determined, right?"

I nodded. I couldn't hide things from him. Hikaru was so similar to me and he knew what I thought. I didn't want to hide it from him as well. He should know. After all he was the most important person to me.

"There's someone I met," I confessed.

Hikaru's eyes widened and he looked like he was about to have a stroke and pass out. I wielded around with my arms in panic and embarrassment.

"Not like that, you idiot!"

Why do I always have to say that nowadays!?

I thought I heard my brother sigh in relief.

If Hikaru found someone that meant that much to him, I would root for him no matter what. Even if it meant that he would spent less time with me, even if it would make me feel lonely because I wanted him to be happy.

Hikaru on the other hand loved me and wanted me to be happy but he was still selfish about me. He wasn't ready to share me yet and because I was such a child I was still extremely glad about that. It meant that we could live in our own world just for a little longer before _everything_ in life would turn upside down.

But even though we both weren't prepared for _that_ drastic change right now, it didn't mean that it was a state we would live in forever.

I ran a hand through my hair in frustration.

_I swear sometimes our contradictory feelings confused the hell out of me._

"She's a friend," I explained and then I told him everything. From how I met Pinky and seeked out her friendship to the point where I had walked her home yesterday and the way we slowly began to trust each other more.

I was nervous about Hikaru's reaction. I knew it was silly in a way since he hadn't even met her personally but I just desperately wanted him to like her, it was important to me.

If he was to actually meet her one day and they ended up not liking each other - I wasn't sure if I could continue to meet someone my brother didn't approve of.

And all of a sudden he laughed. "She bit you because she thought you were a sex offender?"

"That's all you got from this?", I sneered at him.

"She threw a phone at your balls!" he wheezed out, holding his sides.

"Very funny," I huffed. He laughed even louder at my misery.

Why was he the most important person to me again?

Oh right.

He was my idiot twin brother.

It took him a good while to calm down. "Are you finally done now?" I asked tapping with my foot impatiently.

He wiped some tears away. "That's hilarious," he uttered, still out of breath from laughing at me.

In a split second his face turned serious again. "You sure you don't _like_ her?"

I nodded. "Not like that," I assured him. "But I like the idea of being friends with her."

He nodded in understanding. "So a commoner, huh?"

"Yep."

"She's not like Haruhi," he pointed out.

I shook my head. "Not really."

"Not like the Host Club girls."

I tried to imagine Pinky in a poofy yellow dress, sipping tea and trying her best not to swear like a sailor which made me snort. "Definitely not."

Hikaru gazed at me for a long while, a weird unidentifiable expression was gracing his face that was identical to mine. "Okay," he said.

I looked at him in confusion. "Huh? What's okay?"

"Let us spend more time separately and do your best befriending the girl, I don't mind," he elaborated simply.

"Really?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I've got your back but don't you dare forget me, idiot!"

I laughed in relief. "As if I could, Hikaru. Thanks for being open about this."

My brother shrugged his shoulders. "It was bound to happen anyways. You're right. We should try and see how we work when we're on our own before we get thrown into University-life."

I hugged him tightly. It felt like a huge weight was lifted off of my shoulders.

**~ O ~**

**_Later that night_**

As I lay in my bed, feeling at ease after my conversation with Hikaru I wondered what Ai was doing right now. Yesterday when I walked her home we exchanged phone numbers. I felt like texting her. It was already one in the morning but maybe she was still up.

'_Hey Pinky, are you sleeping?'– Harry_

I stared at my phone waiting for her response. It didn't take long for her to answer.

'_Yeah, that's why I'm texting you back.' – Pinky_

I chuckled at her sarcasm, immediately typing my reply.

'_Aren't you clever? How was your day?'_

My eyes didn't leave my phone screen as I waited for her to answer. After about ten minutes in which she still hadn't texted me back, I frowned. Maybe she fell asleep…

The phone vibrated again and I quickly read her message.

'_Fine, yours?'_

I typed: '_Pretty good. I had a nice talk with my twin brother.'_

'_Great.'_

I furrowed my eyebrows. Why were her answers so curt all of a sudden? Maybe she wasn't in the mood to text. Or maybe she lied and was actually in a bad mood. I tried to tease her a little.

'_Do you already miss my beautiful face?'_

'_No,'_ was her short reply.

Something was definitely wrong. Pinky would usually give me a snarky comeback at this point or she'd tell me off for being an idiot. Maybe she actually had a bad day but her brief answers told me that it would be inconsiderate to straight out ask her right now, we didn't know each other well enough.

For some reason my memory was winding back to the day I had first met her, the day I saw her crying. Although we always joked and squabbled together I kept noticing how there was just something sad about this girl. Even when she laughed at my silliness there was this constant sorrow clouding her eyes that made my heart ache. And I was reminded how she had told me that she only had _one_ real friend. It might be due to the loneliness I saw when I looked at her, it was easy to recognize when you had felt that way yourself. A voice inside my head told me that boredom wasn't the only reason I had searched for this girl's proximity, maybe I had hoped to be able to take some of that pain away. There were times where she just looked so vulnerable.

'_Aw, you don't have to be shy. I'll send you a sexy selfie.'_

I attached a picture of me in my cosplay outfit on the day the Hosts and I were cross-dressing for Haruhi. I was in full make-up, winking at the camera and doing an obnoxious kissy face while holding a fan to my chest. Hopefully it would get a smile out of her.

'_You're absolutely insane, but thanks for the good laugh. :D'_

I had to grin. There's the reply I was looking for.

'_You're welcome. Now go and catch some beauty sleep. It's late. Good night, sweet cheeks,'_ I texted.

'_Good night, idiot.'_

Satisfied I put my phone down on the nightstand.

* * *

_Hi guys,_

_I'm here with another chapter, this time in Kaoru's POV. _

_Thank you to _**rsaenz18**,**Lillyannp** and **Ectomotive**for the recent reviews to the previous chapter. I always love to hear others thoughts, it motivates me and lets me see things through your perspective.

To **Lillyannp**: A Hikaru-Kaoru interaction was definitely needed, I haven't forgotten him. He's such an important part of Kaoru's life so it would be odd to leave him out. He'll be mentioned often and will appear every now and then since the main focus of this story will be on Kaoru and OC. I'm glad that you enjoy the progress in their relationship and will do my best to keep it interesting.

To **Ectomotive**: Glad you enjoy the Vietnamese representation! I took the inspiration from my best friend who is Vietnamese :D and I thought it was time to represent someone who is not flawless. When I read the manga I thought that Haruhi was a nice, very likeable protagonist but in a way still very Mary-Sue-ish. I mean she's super cute, looks like a doll, has flawless skin, extreme intelligence and is domestic. Everyone loves her, the list goes on and on. I love her character but realized that reality often looks different therefore I hope that I can create a relatable character with Ai._ I plan to introduce Ai to the other members at a later point because Ai struggles with social interactions._

Well then, lots of love to everyone else who reads and follows this story. Hope you'll check out the chapter that I'll post next week.

Until then happy holidays and merry Christmas to all of you!


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"Where are you right now?" she inquired.

"Locked myself up in my room, they're getting really loud downstairs," I told my sister, Mai, on the phone.

"But they are always loud," my sister interjected.

"No doubt about that however they are beyond control today. I was heating up their food in the kitchen, waiting for them to come home from work. Next thing I know, they were standing outside yelling at each other in front of the house at eleven pm!" I retold the incident from fifteen minutes earlier.

"Those nuts, I swear… What are they fighting about this time?" Mai asked.

I flung myself onto the bed, dead tired. My cat, Malfoy, was lying on the bed end, hissing at me angrily when the force of my jump catapulted him from the mattress. I quickly whispered an apology to him to which he replied with an indignant meow. Then he leaped towards my desk chair with incredible elegance and curled up there to continue his beauty sleep.

"I'm not sure if I got it right. I think mom mentioned something about dad, being rude to our kitchen help at the restaurant. He was being all bossy and everything. Mom told him to tone it down but probably in a not-so-nice way and they began fighting," I retold parts of their argument that I had understood.

My parents conversed with each other in Vietnamese and I wasn't really fluent in the language since I grew up only speaking Cantonese to them. I did understand certain things and was generally able to use the Vietnamese language, although it must be mentioned that my sister and I weren't nearly as knowledgeable as my brother. After all he was the only one of us three siblings that was actually born and raised in Vietnam until he was six years old. Additionally my parents just talked very fast when fighting which made it even harder to understand.

"Oh man, I bet he's going to leave again," Mai groaned in annoyance.

"Dad? Well, of course and I will be stuck, skipping cram school to work at the restaurant at nights. Obviously I ain't got anything better to do than to take care of these nutjobs." The remark came out more accusing and bitter than originally intended. Honestly, I was so sick of this, I didn't even know if I was going to pass that shitty entrance exam anymore.

"Hey, I'm gonna hang up, alright? I still have some homework that I need to finish," I went on to notify my sister before she could comment on my little slip. I didn't feel like talking to anyone at the moment and just wished to be left alone. We agreed to call each other another time.

When I hung up the phone I went back to my usual gloominess and sought solace in my cat, Malfoy.

My cat was one sneaky asshole who liked attacking others out of nowhere. As a result I chose to name him after Harry Potter's nemesis. The name fit him perfectly in my opinion.

We worked together well. I was someone who needed space and he was very similar in that aspect. Generally he preferred not to be cuddled or touched by anyone but something that was very special about him was that he understood me. Whenever I was sad, upset or lonely, which happened too often nowadays, Malfoy would accept my touches and would even come out of his own accord to snuggle up to me.

I kneeled down next to my cat. He was still asleep on my desk chair. When I reached out to stroke his head he purred and slowly opened his eyes, looking at my face. He got up and gave me a little lick on the cheek. In return I scratched him behind his ears. Malfoy nestled his head against my hand.

"Thanks man, I know you're not really a cuddly fellow," I spoke to him quietly.

He gave me a wink and nuzzled his head into my neck, his purrs getting louder.

All of a sudden I heard the noise of something shattering downstairs. It was so loud that I flinched, startled. Malfoy meowed in complaint and jumped out of his skin when further sounds of glass shattering were audible. Then a lot of screaming was involved.

_Mom and dad._

My heart leaped into my throat. Hurriedly, I got up on my feet, unlocked the door and bolted downstairs, already dreading whatever I was going to see next. I followed the excessive noises, my parents loud voices were coming from the kitchen. A plate was thrown out of the kitchen with so much force that it crashed against the wall in the living room. It narrowly missed my head and my pulse quickened. Regardless of the panic I felt I knew it was necessary to check on my parents.

When I managed to summon up my courage to enter the kitchen, I set foot in something that could be compared to a warzone. Mom was standing by the dish washer, her eyes glinting with such furious anger that it scared me to be in her vicinity. Mother's nostrils were flared, eyes wide opened and crazed with aggression as she threw dishes, aiming at my father. The kitchen floor was covered in shards and dad was desperately avoiding the onslaught of dishes. He was barefooted and I paled once I saw a little blood on the ground.

"Are you out of your goddamn mind!?" he barked at her, with tightly clenched fists. I could see the veins protruding on the back of his hand.

Mother was holding a glass so tightly that it cracked; I flinched as I heard the noise of the burst. Her hand was still holding onto the broken fragments of the glass and I saw a single dark red droplet running down her hand and dripping on the floor. Neither of them reacted to their injuries, both were too blinded by the hatred they held felt for each other to notice anything else.

"Damn straight I am! With a husband like you who wouldn't lose it!?" mom's cold voice cut through the room. The disgust was written all over her face as she took my father in. Both hadn't even taken notice of me. I was transfixed to the spot, speechlessly trying to digest the scene in front of me. But when my mother picked up another dish my body reacted before my mind could.

I pushed myself in front of dad, holding out my hands towards my mother in attempt to stop her. "Mom, no! Put the plate down!"

Her eyes widened once she realized I was right in front of her, blocking her view from dad. Her raised arm which held the plate lowered instantly. "Ai, go away! This is not your business!" she ordered in a calmer tone.

I shook my head aggressively. "No! You need to stop!" I yelled and it came out more stable and assured than I felt. Underneath I was trembling and my heart accelerated intensely. It was a rarity for me to raise my voice, much less against my mother. I was brought up to respect my parents and be a dutiful daughter, it was a concept that was forced into my brain since day one and I even feared my strict mother to a certain extent. Raising my voice like this against her was not only defying my quiet-seeking nature, it was also an extremely risky action that my mother would most likely label as disrespect.

In the next second I felt my father's hands shoving me out of the way. He grabbed a chair close by and threw it at my mother with all his might. Mom avoided the chair by ducking down and it smashed against the wall behind her with a loud bang.

"Stop it! STOP! Please!" I pleaded forlornly. I was so scared.

As no one reacted I decided to work with force before they could hurt each other further. I violently pushed dad out of the kitchen despite protests, knowing both wouldn't dare throwing anything at each other if I stood between them. That much decency as parents had to be left inside of them. I pulled dad upstairs into my room. "Stay right there, don't move!" I warned my father as I pushed him onto the bed.

On my way out of the room I took the key with me, locking the door from the outside just in case he'd try and run downstairs again. I'd look after him later. I saw a small trail of blood along the way and tried my best not to have an emotional breakdown. Now was not the time to freak out.

Taking several deep breaths in attempt to stay calm, I sprinted towards our medicine cabinet in the living room. My mind was still in shambles.

What on earth do I need for glass cuts?

Hopefully the cabinet was fully stocked, I was sure that I had restocked it not too long ago.

In great haste I snatched my phone out. I had no idea how to treat glass wounds and had to google it first but I figured that a pair of tweezers, band aids, some cotton pads and rubbing alcohol should be sufficient. I sighed in relief when I saw all the necessary articles standing in the cabinet and rapidly snatched the medical items out, setting them on the coffee table.

Running into the kitchen I spotted my mother who hadn't moved an inch. Only her head had turned around to look out the window, I saw tears on her cheeks. She looked lonely, old and her eyes were red and puffed. I felt sorry for her. Regardless, I had to get her out of there. I made sure that she wore slippers when I pulled her out of the kitchen so she wouldn't risk stepping into shards.

When I moved her to the couch, I kneeled down in front of her to inspect her hand thoroughly. As expected, there were some particles stuck in her palm but the glass shards gladly weren't deeply imbedded. In the article I was skimming through it said that deeper cuts should be taken out by a professional. Gladly there were only three shards that seemed to be stuck at the surface of the skin. I asked mom if she felt a lot of pain. Her face was expressionless and she was staring at nothing in particular, not looking at me during the entire time. When I was about to question her she started to shake her head ever so slightly.

Taking that as a cue to proceed, I carefully pulled out the three particles of glass from her palm, reducing the trembling of my hands to a minimum as I was doing so. When I was successful in removing everything safely I set the shards on a paper towel and grabbed the bottle that read 'First-aid Antiseptic'. Next up I continued to drench a cotton pad with the strong smelling solution. "It's going to sting a little, mom. I'll disinfect your cuts with the antiseptic, okay?"

I got no response from her; she was still spaced out so I cleansed her cuts as gently and thoroughly as possible. Mom didn't even flinch when I did so. Lastly after finishing with cleaning and disinfecting, I wrapped a band aid around her palm and tied it up tightly in the neatest way that was achievable for me.

"It's all done mom, you should rest a little. I prepared freshly cooked water-spinach soup and pork cutlets in the kitchen. Are you hungry?"

Mom shook her head wordlessly.

"Do you want to go to bed?"

She shook her head again.

I sighed and arranged the pillows in a comfortable position for her, then turned her around to place her outstretched legs on the couch, helping her to lie down. "Try to take a nap, mom."

Turning my back to her, I gathered the first-aid equipment in my arms and spurted upstairs. As I came to a stop in front of my bedroom I unlocked the door and stepped inside. Dad was still sitting on my bed. He was staring at the wall with an empty expression similar to the one I saw on mom's face. I looked at his feet and was relieved to see that he didn't receive any major cuts at the bottom of his feet as well. There were two shards on his right foot, the other was luckily unharmed.

"I'll treat your wounds, dad. Okay?"

No answer.

_I_ pulled out two shards with the tweezers.

"Does it hurt a lot?"

Again, no answer. The silence was so uncomfortable. I never knew how I was supposed to act around my parents, especially when they fought. They made me feel uneasy

Nevertheless, I continued to do the same procedure that I had done earlier on mom's palm.

"There, all finished. Try to rest a little."

I closed the door behind me and ran downstairs again to sweep up the shards. Shortly after I was done, I locked myself up in the bathroom and sank down towards the ground with my back against the door.

I bit my tongue as hard as possible in hopes of holding back the tears that threatened to leave.

And that's when I couldn't hold them back. First, one small bead escaped from my right eye. I could feel the warmth, sliding down my cheek and rolling off my chin. Then another. And another.

Until my eyes flooded with them, coming like a waterfall. I couldn't stop, even as I pressed my hands against my eyes and pathetically dried them over and over again. I couldn't stop and I hated myself for not being able to. Hated my life, my parents and the situation they put me in, but more than anything else in the world I hated myself, my wretched existence.

_I don't want to live._

The muffled sobs wracked against my chest and I took my phone out despite barely being able to see due to the overflow of tears. I messaged Misaki everything that had happened.

Misaki replied immediately.

'_I'm coming over'_

I shook my head viciously even though I knew she couldn't see me.

'_Don't. My parents are there. We'll talk about it at another time; it's almost one in the morning for Christ's sake.'_

I dried my eyes with my sleeves again as my phone vibrated, informing me that she had replied.

'_Are you sure?'_

'_Yeah, I'm fine. Go to bed, I'll do the same. We'll talk tomorrow 'kay?'_ I typed.

'_Okay, good night 3' _Misaki relented.

'_Good night 3' _I wrote and was about to set the phone down when it vibrated once again.

I gazed at my phone screen in confusion and opened the message.

It was Kaoru.

'_Hey Pinky, are you sleeping?'– Harry_

'_Yeah, that's why I'm texting you back.' – Pinky_

'_Aren't you clever? How was your day?'_

And I rubbed my chest in a pathetic attempt to ease the constricting tightness inside. I was so exhausted and felt emotionally bankrupt. There was nothing left to feel, nothing left to say, nothing left but the void that enveloped my mind in swirling blackness. I didn't want to answer him, I wanted to go back to shutting everyone out. I only wanted Misaki. That way no one would hurt me, no one else would get the chance to use me and I could lead a quiet lonely life. That was the wish, my ideal dream. Others dreamed of big careers, money and popularity. I merely wanted to be left alone. But reality looked different because with a family like that how would that ever be achievable for me?

I forced myself to reply to him even though I didn't want to.

'_Fine, yours?'_

Maybe if I kept my answers scarce he would get the message and move on to befriend someone else. I couldn't offer him anything as a friend, I was too tired. Too exhausted…

'_Pretty good. I had a nice talk with my twin brother.'_

_Stop replying, Kaoru. Go and find someone normal like you. Someone who isn't completely messed up in the head. I don't know you well but I know you should surround yourself with better people._

Instead I typed an impassive one-worded answer.

'_Great'_

'_Do you already miss my beautiful face?' _He joked, always happy and fun, so different from me.

'_No.' _Was my rude lie that would hopefully get the message across. I did miss his brightness even though we only saw each other, yesterday. I barely knew him and it was embarrassing how he affected me so much but he had this ability to light up my mundane and sometimes intensely dark and lonely days. I had realized our short encounters and his jokes made me smile more honestly than I had in recent years. This guy just had this special gift; it would be a waste to dampen his personality and mood with my constant state of sadness and anxiety. I couldn't do that to him, it would be selfish.

'_Aw, you don't have to be shy. I'll send you a sexy selfie.'_

He needed to stop. I wanted to tell him to stop being so nice and fun around me. I wasn't worth that positive energy he radiated. I contemplated just deleting his number and blocking him right then and there. But couldn't resist, looking at the picture he had send me.

_I'll just look at it quickly and then I will never bother you again, Kaoru._

And when I saw it the corners of my mouth twitched upwards involuntarily. To my own surprise I found myself laughing - timid at first, stopping and starting. Soon tears of sadness turned to tears of hilarity and I lay on the floor, looking at the ridiculous picture of him, cross-dressing, over and over again. The way he winked at the camera, doing a kissy face with that obnoxious amount of make-up had me wheezing and I slapped my thigh at the insanity of it all. How was it possible? How could he make me laugh even in the state I was in?

''_You're absolutely insane, but thanks for the good laugh. :D'_

Thanking him was the least I could do at this point.

'_You're welcome. Now go and catch some beauty sleep. It's late. Good night, sweet cheeks.'_

I had to roll my eyes at the pet name but couldn't prevent the smile, forming on my face.

'_Good night, idiot.'_

When was the last time I had such a good hearty laugh? I couldn't even remember. Some giggles still slipped out of me.

In that moment I knew that I didn't want to be lonely anymore. I wanted change. I wanted to keep hanging out with Kaoru and when he'd get sick of me he had the option to leave.

My phone vibrated once again. It was a message from Misaki.

'_Open the door before I fucking storm in.' _

My eyes widened at her threat and I quietly hastened towards the front door, picking up a key on my way while passing my mother in silence who was still passed out in the living room.

Immediately as I opened the door I saw my impatient and pissed off best friend on the opposite side of the street with her arms crossed in front of her. She was leaning against her Audi TT that she received for her eighteenth birthday. Misaki didn't say a word until I gently closed the door and went over to her.

I wasn't sure what to say. Didn't I say that she didn't have to come? Why was she here and why did she look so miffed?

"Did you really assume I'd leave my best friend alone after that drama that occurred in her home? You're fine!? Then why are your eyes all puffy and you look like you've gone to hell and back?" she hissed at me heatedly as I looked up at her. She was so much taller than me.

And even though she looked scary as hell I was so glad that she was here. I didn't want to be alone at the moment. I was lying to myself when I told her that, I needed Misaki so I ran towards her and held onto her tightly. She hugged me back just as fiercely.

"You're seriously such an idiot. You don't have to deal with everything alone. I told you I'm always there for you. Get it in your thick skull," she scolded me.

I sighed relieved. "Thank you so much."

I heard her sigh as well. "I'm really sorry, Ai. So sorry. I wish I could do much more for you but all I can offer you is my lousy comfort, I guess," she said and all the ire was vanished from her voice. All I could hear was the worry and care she always held for me.

I shook my head, and released Misaki to look at her. "That's all I need, you're a real life-saver."

She smiled at me. "Now hop into my sexy car, bitch, I'll get you away from here."

Obediently I jumped in the passenger seat. "What now? Are we going to ride down into the valley until we reach Neverland or something?"

Misaki started the engine of her beloved car. "Nah, I don't have enough gas and money on me."

I laughed and she grinned at me.

"-but there should be enough gas for a nice ride to take your mind away from shitty life for a moment and just keep you from being alone," my best friend continued.

I smiled at her. "Well then, off we go my loyal chauffeur."

_I'm going to get through this; I'm not giving up yet. Not like this. Not if I've got a friend like this and another one who might become just as important as Misaki in the future._

* * *

Hi guys,

Here's another chapter.

Thanks to **lillyannp** for the review on the last chapter. I'm glad you enjoyed the Kaoru-Hikaru interaction and feel relieved that their connection is a little more understandable now.

Thank you, **rsaenz18** for your review. I'm happy that you enjoyed the last chapter and hope that you will enjoy this one as well.

I'm grateful to anyone who bothers to read my crappy story xD and am open for any criticism by the way. Since I'm far from fluent in English I always scare to make grammatical mistakes and weird sentence structures. I try my best to bring across my thoughts but still struggle quite often. General criticism towards the plot are welcomed as well, I always try to improve myself.

Lots of love to everyone!


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

„Uh, hey dad…"

My father stopped dead in his tracks, looking behind him in surprise.

"Oh Ai, you came home early," he exclaimed startled. Dad was kneeling in front of the wardrobe he shared with mom, next to him a small suitcase.

I just came home from school, still dressed in my uniform. Apparently I had interrupted him in the middle of packing.

It was one o'clock, so it would still take about two hour until my mother came home from work.

Of course, he'd run before she showed up.

"Our German teacher was sick today and the substitute teacher allowed us to leave two hours sooner to finish assignments and stuff," I explained, clarifying the reason for my early arrival at home.

"Ah, I see," he said.

The atmosphere was uneasy.

He had probably planned to leave before I came home. "Well…then you should get down to that, huh?"

"I will," I answered him. "But I wanted to have lunch first. Are you hungry?" I asked, both of us deliberately avoiding the subject at hand - him packing and leaving to who-knows-where yet again and his' and mom's craziness yesterday. Judging by the slightly pained expression on his face and the way he looked at anything but me, it was most likely that he at least felt a modicum amount of shame.

Good for him.

He shook his head and looked at me but not my eyes. "Go ahead. Eat something and then study a bit for school. Daddy isn't hungry."

Dad got up, dropping the shirt he had held in one hand onto the floor as he did so. Then he came closer and pulled me in for a hug. "Ai…because of yesterday…" he began, all the while not loosening his embrace. It was a good excuse to prevent us from looking at each other and causing more weirdness between us, I suppose.

"Don't worry about that. It's only something between your mother and me. This doesn't concern you at all. So just forget about it, okay? No need to worry," he assured me, sounding like he was trying to explain something to a toddler. I had heard these sentences way too many times from him since childhood.

"Okay," I said flatly, using my usual reply whenever he told me that.

"Daddy decided to leave," he explained as if it wasn't entirely obvious and as if this scenario hadn't repeated itself for the umpteenth time now. I resisted rolling my eyes. Words couldn't explain how annoyed and upset I was.

But instead of letting out all the stress and frustration that had been growing inside of me and that had doubled over the past months, I said: "Okay."

_Just because I'm such a good and dutiful daughter and that's what's expected of me._

"I can't stay when there is so much stress going on between her and me. You're a big girl, you understand right?"

"Yes," I said.

"Take care of yourself and do well in school, alright?"

"Okay," I said.

He detached from me and awkwardly patted me on the shoulder, turning around to continue packing.

"乖女," was what he had said before he turned around. The Cantonese words that I had come to hate over the years, meaning _'well-behaved/quiet daughter'_.

That's how my parents wanted me to be. Quiet, never pointing out their mistakes, never talking back to them, no matter how unfair or wrong they were; just accepting everything and being gracious towards them, respecting them above anything else. That was their imagination of a '乖女'.

Regardless, I turned away, swallowing my pride and the lump I felt in my throat, and then stepped outside of the room without another word, heading back downstairs to make Vietnamese Spring Rolls.

I needed to distract myself from the frustration I felt bubbling up inside me right now.

Yesterday, I had already precooked pork belly, chicken breast and shrimp to save some time, preparing lunch for today. Additionally I had washed lettuce, mint, and cilantro beforehand and chopped some cucumber so I just had to cook the rice noodles and Hoisin sauce and last but not least roll everything together.

I worked quickly because I wanted to give dad some to take with him before he left. I didn't believe him when he said that he wasn't hungry. There was still enough Chinese garlic green beans leftover from yesterday's dinner; he just didn't want to touch it because mom cooked it. Even though I was still annoyed with him and mom I would feel bad letting him out of the house, knowing he hadn't eaten anything the entire day.

When the noodles were done boiling I drained them in the sink and cooled them under cold water. I placed all the necessary ingredients on the countertop and began putting ingredients on the dampened rice paper, making several different rolls, meanwhile making sure not to add any cucumber into mom's rolls because she disliked the taste. Mine and Misaki's were made with chicken instead of pork belly and dad liked his with chives. And when I was done making several different plates of Spring Rolls, I paused, noticing that I still had some ingredients left over.

_Looks like i miscalculated the amount of ingredients, maybe I should…_

The face of a certain handsome red-haired idiot popped up in my head. I didn't know his likes and dislikes.

_Should I text him? Should I make lunch for him as well?_

I felt my anxiety sneak up to me at the thought. Yesterday was the first time we had texted each other, I was too much of a coward to text him first but at the same time I wanted to see him again.

_Come on, get over yourself Ai. What are you freaking out about? Kaoru is a chill guy._

I released a long breath and picked up my phone, feeling slightly flustered.

'_Hey, I'm making Vietnamese Spring Rolls. Would you like some?' – Ai_

After texting him I proceeded to place dad's Spring Rolls in a bento and filled a container with some Hoisin sauce. I added some chili peppers because dad liked his food ridiculously spicy and sprinkled crushed peanuts into the sauce. As I closed the lid of the container, sealing it tightly so nothing would spill out, my phone vibrated, informing me of a new message.

In a hurry to get to my phone I almost dropped the container. Nervously, I opened the message.

'_YES, please! You ma'am, are an angel.' – Kaoru_

A smile formed on my face.

'_Is there anything you can't or don't like to eat? The ingredients I have are pork belly, chicken, shrimp, lettuce, mint, cilantro, rice noodles, peanuts and Hoisin sauce.' – Ai_

His reply was immediate.

'_No cilantro, please. I swear it's a plant created by the devil. Other than that I'm fine with anything. Could you make it super spicy, pretty please?' – Kaoru_

'_Sure. So you're one of those people that demonize an herb? I think it's delicious. Misaki hates it as well though.' – Ai_

My phone vibrated once again.

'_You're kidding right? Stuff tastes like dish soap.' – Kaoru _

I looked at his reply in amusement.

'_Whatever you say, Harry.' – Ai_

'_By the way, Pinky, are we already that far in our relationship that you go out of your way to cook for me? Should I start calling you wifey instead now? I feel so loved, darling.' – Kaoru_

I flushed slightly, feeling embarrassed. Of course, he couldn't resist teasing 's masterful how this guy managed to go through life, balancing that massive head of his. It must be thrice the size of the average human.

'_You are an idiot. I was cooking for my parents and Misaki, only asking you because I had ingredients left over. Get off your high horse, Harry.' – Ai_

'_One day you'll admit your undying love for me, Pinky. You're just in denial right now.' – Kaoru_

I rolled my eyes at his answer. This moron…

"Ai," dad interrupted me, suddenly standing in the kitchen. I jumped up surprised. I hadn't noticed him coming downstairs.

"Uh, yeah?"

His suit case was lying next to him. "I'm going to leave now."

I nodded and handed him his lunch box. "Alright, here I made those for you."

"Thank you," he replied, taking it in his hands. For a minute it looked like he wanted to say something but instead he went on to say. "Well then, I'll get going…"

I nodded, turning back to make Kaoru's rolls, not being able to handle the tense air that surrounded us once again. "Be careful," I told him in passing, not looking at him.

At the corner of my eyes I saw him moving towards me. He gave me a kiss on the head. "Daddy will call you," he promised. And I nodded absently. Next he turned and left. The noise of the front door, snapping shut behind him, was the last noise I heard.

An unpleasant and cold silence crept through the family house and I was all alone again.

**~ O ~**

When mom came home she was in an awful mood. The minute she stepped through the door I knew that it was best to avoid her as much as possible. I told her that I'd go to Misaki's because I needed to return something to her.

As I was about to step out of the house my mother spoke up. "You have to wait tables tonight. We're understaffed because of that good-for-nothing. Skip cram school and tell your friends to make notes for you. Be back at quarter to five for work," she ordered strict as ever.

"Yes mother," I replied obligingly.

By the time I arrived at Misaki's with my mom's car I had forced my sullen mood to disappear. It only worked partially.

Instead of ringing the doorbell I went straight into the garden at the back of the house and knocked on the familiar glass door that lead straight to my best friend's bedroom. Misaki had pretty much the entire lower section of the house to herself and I always came to her room straightaway in order to evade talking to her parents. I knew she never locked her door and she didn't care if I just broke in but I always chose to knock anyways.

"Hey, bitch!" Misaki stood in the doorway, dwarfing me with her five foot eleven.

As usual my best friend was dressed in all dark colors when she was outside of school. Misaki was sporting a pair of black leggings and a dark red hoody. She was wearing that dark red lipstick that she was obsessed with since middle school which sort of became her trademark over the time. Barely being released from class, she had immediately put in all of her piercings again.

Her attire and height illustrated such a contrast to me; I could only imagine what a funny sight we must be to others. In contrary to her I wore neutral-colored more casual clothing with little accessories and make-up in order to stay inconspicuous at all times. Sometimes our polar opposite appearance amused not only other people who saw us together but also Misaki and me. We had fun thinking about our extreme inward similarities that only we were able to see. It was our little secret.

I smiled. "Hey, I made you lunch."

I handed Misaki the bento box which she greedily snatched out of my hand in order to sneak a look inside. "Yes! Vietnamese Spring Rolls! I love you," she exclaimed gleefully.

"Wanna come in? Makoto is here too."

"No, I actually need to go home and I don't want to interrupt precious time with your beloved boyfriend," I declined, teasing her a bit.

"Eh – too bad. I hoped you'd be able to help me get rid of him," she joked.

"Hey! I heard that!" we heard an indignant male voice from inside, causing us to laugh.

"Hey Makoto," I called out to him, still laughing. He showed up behind Misaki and rested a hand on her hip. "Hey Ai, it's good to see you." He smiled at me good-naturedly and I returned the sentiment. He was a nice guy.

"I'm going to leave you two alone now. I only came to feed Misaki and tell her-"

-"that you're going to skip cram school again?" she guessed correctly, interrupting me mid-sentence.

I looked at her sheepishly. "Could you please take notes for me again?"

Her mien told me she was worried but she averted talking about things that were private to me. "Of course, I figured as much yesterday. So he - you know - again? Work today?" She deliberately tried not to speak out the question, not wanting to disclose my family drama in front of Makoto out of respect for me. Makoto looked confused at her nonsensical questions. We both went on to ignore him.

I nodded. "Yep, that's why I need you."

"Of course, keep me updated okay?"

"I will," I said and rapidly bid goodbye to both of them.

I heard Misaki calling after me. "Why are you in such a hurry? Got a hot date with a certain someone?"

I elegantly raised my middle finger at her. She laughed at me. "I still haven't grilled you about him. If you think I'm going to shut up about it you're deadly wrong," she notified me.

Choosing to ignore her I started the engine of the car. I was still able to make out her laughter as I drove past her. There was no way in hell I'd tell her that I was really supposed to meet Kaoru at the playground, she would never let me live it down.

When I arrived at the park he was already there waiting for me, sitting on a bench.

This place appeared so different when it wasn't engulfed in darkness and tranquility. It was full of laughing and screaming children, running around. Some mothers frantically chased after them and among that lively and chaotic picture and noise was he, who stood out like a sore thumb although all he did was sitting there unmoving. I wondered to myself if there were times when someone like him wasn't the focus of all attention.

Most likely not.

Despite the commotion around him I noticed that he looked relaxed. He was leaning back with his long legs outstretched, eyes closed and airpods in, dressed in a simple pair of dark jeans and a blue hoody, nothing special about his attire. What guy didn't own that outfit, right? But why did he look like he was posing for Vogue magazine? It was absolutely ridiculous.

_What are you doing here, Ai? Guys like Kaoru don't hang out with girls like you, silly. What do you want with him?_

I had no idea. All I knew was that his personality and his presence pulled me in. Every day I sought for reasons just to wake up and when I saw him laugh or joke I was miraculously reminded that life could be _lighthearted_. Like the children surrounding this place.

He just had that energy. It was so…so-

\- "Onee-chan, are you okay? You've sort of been standing there for a while." A child's voice startled me all of a sudden. I quickly whipped my head down to look at a cute little girl with pigtails who was gazing up at me with her small nose crinkled in confusion.

"Uh- Yeah, Yeah! I'm fine," I assured the girl to which she sighed in relief. She couldn't have been older than five. I had to smile automatically. She was adorable.

"I'm glad, onee-chan. Ne, is that onii-chan your boyfriend?" She asked innocently, catching me off guard.

"Uhm- what!? Who? What? No," I sputtered perplexed.

She pointed towards the bench where Kaoru sat and my gaze followed hers. To my absolute shock Kaoru wasn't leaning back with his eyes closed anymore.

Nope.

Instead he was looking directly at me, a questioning look in his eyes.

"Oh, well I just thought that he was your boyfriend because you've been staring at him the whole time," the little girl said.

_I did what!?_

Oh my god, since when did Kaoru notice me standing here? And did I really stare at him for that long?

I wanted to die from embarrassment.

_Please don't tell me he had noticed._

My eyes lifted towards him tentatively. He was still looking at me. A smirk rose on his face as my eyes met his and he winked at me teasingly. I quickly avoided his gaze, furiously staring at the ground that had suddenly become the most interesting thing ever.

"It's okay, onee-chan. I get you. He looks like a real life prince, right?" The girl told me sweetly. Then she whispered at me with big awestruck eyes. "Do you think he might actually be a real prince?"

"Uhm – he's just a friend, sweetie. And I assure you he's not a prince."

_He's more of a devil really…_

"Maybe you should go play a little. Onee-chan needs to talk to that onii-san over there."

"Okay, good luck onee-chan," she giggled and skipped over to the slides.

And I still had to smile at her cheekiness in spite of my mortification. Had Misaki teased me like that I would've strangled her but I could hardly be upset with children.

As I glanced up again, Kaoru was beckoning me over with a wave of his hand.

"So what have the two cuties been talking about?" he asked, wasting no time to be nosy when I reached his spot.

"Nothing at all," I answered resolutely, taking a seat next to him on the bench.

_No way in hell, am I going to tell you._

"The little kid was pointing at me; it looked like you were talking about me. Unless I'm very much mistaken I'd even say you looked slightly flustered, Pinky," he continued poking fun at me with that smug look on his face that made me want to peel his eyelashes off.

I sighed in exasperation. "You know what you're like, Harry?"

"What?" he asked confused at the sudden question.

"You're like a hemorrhoid, a pain in the ass that just won't go away." I nodded gravely.

He laughed like this was the funniest thing he'd ever heard and I rolled my eyes.

"Here," I said, shoving the bento box into his hands and his eyes lit up. Harry immediately opened the box, starting to eat right then and there.

"You need to eat it with the sauce, idiot. Have you never had Vietnamese Spring Rolls? The sauce is everything." I opened up the lid of the sauce container for him.

His eyes went wide as he took another bite with the sauce this time. "This is really good!" he exclaimed with a full mouth.

I shrugged my shoulders. Vietnamese Spring Rolls weren't difficult to make but I still felt relieved that he enjoyed it.

All the sudden my phone made itself noticeable. I pulled it out and checked the screen.

'_Come home for work.' – Mom_

Shit, I completely forgot the time. I sighed. "That's my cue to leave."

Kaoru looked at me. "Already? But you just came," he pointed out.

"I know," I said. "I didn't say I'd hang out with you, Harry, just that I'd bring you lunch."

He pouted. "Do you have cram school today?"

I straightened myself up, ready to leave. It would be better not to let mom wait. She was already in a lousy mood to begin with.

"No- uh - well yes actually - but I need to help my mom at the restaurant today," I explained.

"Oh, okay," he said. Maybe it was just my wishful thinking, but he looked slightly disappointed.

_Why would you wish for that, Ai? What's up with you these days?_

"Enjoy your food, Kaoru. I'm sorry, I really have to go now. See you," I bid my goodbye to him, not really wanting to leave.

_Seriously, what's going on with you, Ai?_

He nodded. "Sure do what you got to do. Bye Pinky, and thanks for making me lunch. That was really nice."

"Don't mention it, bye Harry."

And I sprinted across the playground passing kids, only faltering in my step when I heard someone call after me.

"Pinky! Wait!"

I looked behind me to see Kaoru jogging up to me.

"Tomorrow at midnight, same spot for some drug dealing?" he asked, grinning at me as he waggled his eyebrows.

We both noticed a mother passing by with her child who had overheard us and turned to glare at us in disgust. She was covering her kid's ears and hurried away from us mumbling something about 'today's rotten youths'.

Kaoru and I looked at each other laughing.

"Deal, Harry."

* * *

Hi guys,

Here with another chapter. I think this one might be a tad bit slow but I wanted to give you a glimpse of Ai's daily life and this is just how it turned out. There will be more interactions with Kaoru soon! By the way Happy New Year to all of you.

Thank you to rsaenz18 for your review. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter.

And yay! My favorite reviewer is back GinaSurreal. I thought you lost interest in the story but I'm glad you didn't. Thank you so much for telling me your thoughts on all the chapters. And Happy New Year to you too! I hope everything is going great for you.

Until next time people!


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

She had been crying again. It was dark - but even through the feeble lights of the street lanterns it wasn't difficult to spot her puffy eyes. She tried to act like everything was normal and forced a weak smile on her face but I didn't buy it.

We were at our usual spot quietly sitting next to one another - just like we promised yesterday.

"You've been crying again," I pointed out, breaking our silence. It was an observation not a question.

Pinky deliberately avoided looking at me. "No, I haven't," she argued.

"Yes, you have."

"No, I haven't, what are you talking about?"

"You're lying, Ai," I stated determined - for once using her real name instead of calling her Pinky.

She stared into the distance, huffing in exasperation at my persistence. There were dark circles under her eyes. One of the things I always noticed about Pinky was that she was consistently tired and sad.

"Could you just drop it? Please?" Pinky pleaded.

I sighed. "You know, I've recently learned that it helps to just talk about things."

It was true, after confronting Hikaru about everything I felt a lot better but Pinky didn't respond to my notion. She merely proceeded to pull her knees in and turned her head away from me.

_Don't shut down now, stubborn girl._

I was reminded of giving her a bit of space, so I looked at the ground instead of at her, hoping it'd make her feel less self-conscious.

Then an idea came up in my mind. "Hey, remember our first encounter?"

I heard her let out a snort. "Harry, that happened a little over a month ago. I'm not senile yet, of course I remember."

"At that time you had been crying as well, obviously something was bothering you but – you know – you weren't the only one who was trying to seek comfort that day…"

I could see her turn towards me again in my peripheral vision. She was eyeing me curiously. There was a moment of silence and just when I thought she would remain mute her barely audible voice rang out in the almost noiseless night. She spoke so quietly it almost resembled a whisper. "Such is life, what's your point, Harry?"

"I'll tell you my crappy life story and you tell me yours?" I asked hopefully. I desperately wanted to know what was going on with this girl but at the same time I didn't want to push her - although if she didn't want to tell me I should probably be respectful and drop the subject.

Pinky was still eyeing me while I kept my eyes firmly trained towards the ground. I didn't want to scare her away - not now when I actually held her attention.

"Hey, I'm a good listener and I can keep things to myself," I promised reassuringly.

Ai sighed and rubbed her face tiredly. "Why are you doing all of these things, Kaoru? What's up with all that?"

"What do you mean? I'm just trying to be a friend." My questions about her were never-ending but she was too _guarded_. She made it so hard to get closer to her.

Luckily though, I'm very patient.

_Yes kids - living and growing up with a hot-tempered twin did that to you…_

"Guys like you don't do that!" she snapped at me out of the blue and jolted me out of my thoughts. I could feel her glare resting on me.

Despite being caught off guard by her unexpected change in demeanor I remained calm and collected. "What do you mean, guys like me?"

I'm now fully turned towards her. Her glare intensified. "Good lord, do I really have to spell it out…" She huffed in frustration and looked at me like I was an idiot. "You are too _perfect_."

I blinked dumbfounded and sat there for a while, letting her words sink in. Did she just call me _perfect_?

A sharp laugh erupted out of me before I could stop myself. How on earth did she come to that conclusion!? What was going on in that girl's mind?

"You think I'm perfect?" I wheezed out in disbelief. "Oh Pinky, you couldn't be further from the truth."

She rested her chin on her knees and rolled her eyes. "Sure," she grumbled. Her sarcastic undertone wasn't lost on me.

"You know what I think?" I asked her on a more serious note. "I think you need to stop being this closed off. I get it, really, I've been there too. You don't trust people. Something must have happened and it affected you. But I learned that life goes on, Ai. Not everyone is an asshole. So please don't push me away like this - especially not someone who's being completely honest with you here."

Pinky scoffed and raised her eyebrows so high at me that they almost touched her hairline. "Completely honest, huh?"

"Of course," I replied. It looked like she was trying to get something across. Am I missing something?

She narrowed her eyes at me. "Your name is Kaoru _Hitachiin_."

I frowned in confusion. "Uh yeah, I already told you th-" and then it hit me and my eyes widened with the realization when I got the gist of what she was implying.

_I had never told her_.

I never mentioned my surname! Did that mean-

"You're the son of Yuzuha Hitachiin and Hayato Hitachiin. Your mother is Japan's most famous fashion designer and your father is a well-accomplished computer software developer. Your family is among the most powerful and influential of the entire country and you were born and raised in Tokyo – **not** Shirakawa. You've attended one of Japan's most prestigious schools - Ouran Private Academy - since you were six years old along with your twin brother, Hikaru Hitachiin," Ai finished in one breath, looking at me intently.

I looked into her eyes and was met with distrust. But what was even worse was the _disappointment_ I saw in her eyes. It was like a hit to the gut that knocked all the wind out of me.

"Ai, I -"

"- Is there something else I've missed, 'Kaoru from Shirakawa'? I fear that that's all Google told me. You know, nowadays the word 'honesty' seems to have changed its meaning entirely. They should've rewritten the definition in the new Japanese dictionary. How was I supposed to know that it meant 'sharing five percent truth and spew ninety-five percent bullshit'?" she asked sarcastically.

"Ai, I am so sorry. Let me explain-"

"- Oh, why feel sorry? At least you told me your real name and age, I suppose. With that you've officially met the five percent truth that was required for the new definition of '_honesty_'. Congratulations, Harry! You are one _honest_ asshole!" she joked but there was no humor in her dark brown eyes.

Her expression had turned stony and unreadable; I had never seen Ai look at me with such estranged and detached eyes.

I've done it. I've messed it all up.

Her posture towards me was dismissive and I knew that whatever little trust and friendship I had gained with her over the month was now gone, diminished into nothing.

* * *

Hi guys,

Sorry for the very late update. Life is shitty and doesn't let me rest. I hope that there is still someone who wants to read my crap and that this dramatic little chapter is readable.

Cheerio!


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

She got up and I knew that she was going to leave. I grabbed her wrist to prevent her from going.

Ai let out a sigh and turned around. I knew she was about to snap at me but I refused to let her go like this. I knew she had every right to be mad and disappointed but I couldn't leave things unexplained.

"I know I messed up but please hear me out," I urged insistently.

She huffed. "You're not gonna let me leave anyways, right?"

I nodded gravely and she rolled her eyes, taking a seat again.

"So shoot."

Relieved, I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

"Uhm-it's kind of a long story-"

"-I suggest you start from the beginning," she interrupted patronizingly and a sarcastic comeback was already on the tip of my tongue but I reminded myself that it most likely won't help me getting back in her good graces. Instead I rubbed the back of my neck anxiously, trying to find the right words.

"When we met, you weren't the only one who was looking for some consolation. I've sort of been struggling with myself. I never told you about my twin but that's not because I don't get along with him. The opposite is the case here."

She nodded. "Not gonna lie; I had to check that class picture on your school's website twice. I've seen identical twins before but he's like your freaking clone. When I saw the picture, I thought I was seeing double."

I snickered as I pictured a completely bamboozled Pinky who was squinting at a photo, doubting her own vision and sanity. Pinky slightly smiled along with me and I was glad that she didn't seem to be too mad anymore. I didn't take her for a person who could stay angry for very long anyways.

"My brother and I are extremely close. In fact so close that we grew up living in our own little world. It wasn't until about two years ago where we learned to be a little more open. We never had any friends until we were fifteen. People would always lump us together. To them we were always Hikaru and Kaoru, two parts of a single character. Additionally we started to resent others early on because they couldn't tell us apart, not even our mom. It made us believe that no one cared enough to actually get to know us and I suppose it influenced our own thoughts as well. You know, that day when I walked you home from cram school, I was really surprised about what you said…"

Pinky perked up at that. She had been listening intently the entire time. "What surprised you?"

"You said that I was _contradicting _and thought I would be offended, which I wasn't at all," I snorted. "Rather than that, I was startled and nervous because you hit the bull's eye. That's exactly how my brother and I are: contradicting little brats."

Pinky folded her arms over her knees and rested her head against them while staring at me carefully. "Keep going, Harry," she encouraged me.

"We hated people and thought we were better than the rest but at the same time we were lonely. We were arrogant, yet insecure. We wanted to be seen as individuals but at the same time we didn't because we were scared of being separated; scared of being insufficient on our own. It was a vicious cycle and our minds were conflicted. That's how we resorted to jokes and pranks. We weren't exactly nice to others. Our mindset was: if they don't get us it's their own fault for being stupid. Obviously this 'us and them'- attitude made us lonelier with each passing day. It wasn't until our friend, Tamaki, insisted on recruiting us for his Host Club where we started to snap out of it a little. He's this blonde Hāfu idiot who was extremely persistent to the point until it was obnoxious and annoying but he realized that we were both individuals and still desperate to remain as a unit. He accepted us just the way we were - conflicting thoughts and all - and that's how we eventually got to be friends with him and the other host members. Then in our first year at high school Haruhi came into our lives…"

I had to smile fondly as I thought of the day Haruhi just came bursting into the club room one day and inevitably fought herself into mine and Hikaru's little bubble. How she had to act as a boy, how much fun we all had together as hosts. I'd be lying if I said that I didn't miss those times. Everything was so different now.

"Haruhi is a scholarship student in our class. She eventually had to join the Host Club because of a debt and had to cross-dress as a boy," I explained casually. "She's really kind and a commoner like you. I think you'd like her. Everyone likes Haruhi," I told her.

"Did you just say _commoner_?" Pinky asked disbelievingly, pointing a finger at herself.

"Uh yeah, that's what we call you guys. Because - you know - to call you poor would be a bit offensive, right?"

She seemed even more furious now. "And calling people commoners is not offensive, Harry!?" She looked ready to strangle me. I was momentarily confused. After all she was a commoner, wasn't she?

"Maybe working-class person would be a better term? Although it's awfully long…" I mused in thought.

"How about 'just-a-normal-person' you rich bastard? Not everyone is born with a silver spoon in their mouths! Anyways, forget it! Just go on with the damn story!" Pinky snarled at me red-faced which was an indication for me to shut up before I made things worse for some reason.

"So- uh yeah, anyways," I continued nervously under the scary glare Pinky was giving me. "Haruhi knew straightaway how to differentiate us without guessing or anything. I have no idea how but she always saw us as individuals. It was the first time we had encountered someone like her. Although we were friends with the other Host Club members before she came, we were still opposed to the idea of being separated or seen as two different people. Hikaru and I were much more open to our classmates and to newer ideas ever since Haruhi came."

Pinky frowned and appeared to be confounded. "Well, that's good for you guys that you had such great people behind you but why did you feel the need to lie about your identity? It doesn't really add up. I don't think I look like a dangerous robber or anything and you don't seem scared of me which is a shame, by the way, since you're being way too comfortable and bratty. I'm still not over the whole surprise appearance at my cram school. The girls won't leave me alone and keep asking me for your number and don't get me started with Misaki…" she said, giving me a dismayed look.

I ducked my head sheepishly. "Hehe- sorry 'bout that."

Pinky merely rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

I smiled slightly. It was astonishing how easy it was to be around her and tell her who I really was. The stuff I told her and was about to tell her were things I wasn't proud of at all, not to mention, they were extremely private as well. For some reason I felt like I could share these things with Ai because she wasn't judgmental or prejudiced in any way. As I told her everything I felt the baggage coming off of my shoulders. The entire time she had been listening attentively and there weren't any disapproving expressions on her part. She was truly amazing. Not even with Haruhi or Hikaru did I feel this comfortable. There was always sort of a need to hold back my feelings in fear that I would embarrass myself or disappoint them but with Ai this wasn't the case. She took part of the shame I felt away.

"Anyways, I wanted to tell you the truth eventually, believe me. I really did but it never seemed to be the right time or I just forgot. I don't know. I guess I was sort of afraid you'd treat me differently if I were to tell you," I admitted.

She mustered me curiously. "Why would you think that? In what way would I treat you differently?"

I smiled at her sadly. "People always treat me differently. My family name is well-known. I am rich and obviously I'm too good looking for my own good."

Pinky threw me a funny disgusted look and I laughed.

"What? It's true! I've always been around Japan's high society. Hikaru and I don't know anything else, and although I am thankful for my lifestyle it can be very shallow and tiring. A lot of times it's not easy to tell if others liked you for your materialistic value, your social standing and outer appearance or just for truly yourself. In my school Hikaru and I are just known as 'HikaruandKaoru'. We are compared to one another and treated as one entity. For a long time that was enough for me, I wanted things to be this way but nowadays I feel like I don't have my own identity anymore, I sought to be known as just _Kaoru_. When I met you I was struggling with all of these things, still am actually, and the fact that Hikaru and I still didn't really know the true meaning of separation or independence even though we're so close to graduation was frightening." I explained. "When I saw you it felt like I was given a great opportunity to get to know someone outside of school and try things on my own terms. You were hilarious and you felt honest. It's not easy to find that in my society, even though we had a bit of a rough start," I added good-naturedly.

Pinky snorted. "That's the understatement of the century, Harry." But then her expression softened. "I'm glad you told me all this. It must have been difficult for you. You know, Misaki and I have always dreamt of being rich, dropping school and sleep away our days in a mansion but now that I hear your side of it." She shrugged. "I'm just glad to be a commoner. I already struggle with normal people to begin with, can't imagine how it would be like in that kind of society…"

I smiled at her. "You meet a few good people along the way. It's not all bad apples. I have some really good friends."

She nodded. "So you thought I'd treat you differently, knowing you're rich and all that? I'm hurt, Harry."

"I'm really sorry, Ai. I never meant to-"

"-chill out," Pinky interrupted me. "I was just joking. It's okay to be careful. I am too."

"So," I began carefully. "Are you still mad and disappointed at me? I'm really sorry, Ai. I shouldn't have done this and I should've been upfront and honest with you."

She glanced at her lap absentmindedly and I held my breath anxiously. "I wasn't mad or disappointed with you. I was kind of mad at myself. I thought I was dumb to believe someone like you would want to hang out with me. I thought there was a reason for you to use me or that this was some kind of a sick joke. I have known for a long while that you were lying about your identity, ever since the beginning actually. You're not slick at all with your designer clothes," she jabbed at me and I grinned sheepishly. "- but I never looked you up because I thought you'd tell me eventually. But in the end I was so curious that I did some research on you yesterday and I was just disappointed because I thought we actually get along well and that this would have to end this was all an act. In my mind there was just no logical answer of why someone like you would want to hang out with me."

I paused for a minute, looking at her in wonder. She eye were still directed towards her lap and she was nervously fiddling with her fingers. It hurt me that she thought so little of herself. There I was baring all my faults to her and she even found it in herself to be this compassionate with me. She found out that I had been lying to her and somehow she managed to turn around all my wrongdoings and used them to belittle herself even more. She made me look like I was this unbelievably great person when in reality I wasn't. Silly girl. I wanted to change that and make her believe in herself a little more.

Out of an impulse I reached out with my hand to lift her chin up gently. I wanted to see her eyes. "You're an idiot, Ai. Here I am, messing everything up. You forgive me in the blink of an eye and even sympathize with me. Then you find some way to blame yourself for my lies. I want to be around you because I like you so stop being like this to yourself. This ain't it, Pinky."

Her eyes widened in surprise and she blushed in embarrassment."Misaki tells me the same thing all the time. I know. I'm kind of working on it. It's not easy…"

I smiled at her. She was too cute. "Then let us help you."

She nodded hesitantly and I released her face. "By the way, I still want to know why you were so upset. You can tell me."

She sighed. "Uhm, it's complicated. There's just a lot going on with my parents and school. I swear I'm usually not a weepy kind of person but nowadays I'm just overwhelmed with so many things…"

Determined, I grabbed her shoulders, turning her towards me. "Trust me?"

Pinky seemed unsure at first but then nodded timidly.

"Then trust me when I tell you that I'm a good listener and that it helps to talk. I've been pretty open with my brother recently and things have been a little easier."

She smiled sadly. "I don't think talking will solve any of this but sure. I will tell you eventually. Just not today. It's really late, Kaoru. We still have school tomorrow."

I took my phone out and looked at the time. Damn, she was right. It was already three am…

"Tomorrow then, same time. I'll pick you up. Come, I'll walk you to your door."

"Okay," she agreed.

We got up and I slung my arm around her shoulders as we walked.

"Pinky?"

"Yeah, Harry?"

"Thank you."

And we remained silent. I think she knew what I meant.

_Thank you for trusting me._

_Thank you for accepting me for who I was._

_And thank you for being my friend…_

* * *

Hello everyone,

I hope everyone is staying healthy in these confusing and challenging times. Hopefully this chapter can cheer you up a bit.

Please be safe everyone!


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

„Come and hang out with me and Makoto today. Since your dad came back yesterday night, you should be free right?" Misaki asked as we walked home from school.

"Sorry Misaki, I actually have plans today. This morning I promised Kaoru to go to the mall with him."

A look of smugness formed on her face and I shot her a warning look.

"Uh-huh. So your sugar daddy already texted you in the morning to get you on a mall date? How cute, I didn't know you guys were that far. Didn't we agree to share the dough once one of us would be able to lure in a gigolo? How else are we going to afford all our plastic surgeries?"

I gave her a slight push and rolled my eyes.

Ever since middle school Misaki and I were joking about finding a sugar daddy that would be able to provide us with clothes and plastic surgeries. I wanted bigger boobs and a fat removal. Misaki wanted a new nose and overall a new body.

Yeah. Not gonna happen anytime soon…

"He's _not_ my gigolo, Misaki. I don't care for Kaoru's money."

"Oooh- so you mean it's his body you care for? I didn't know you were this naughty, Ai!" Misaki waggled her eyebrows suggestively at me and I pushed her harder.

"Don't be ridiculous. Kaoru and I are friends," I huffed.

She grinned at me. "It's alright, Ai. I mean it's really understandable, he's quite a sight to look at."

I laughed. "Yeah he is," I agreed. "But seriously there's nothing going on. We're friends and I'm happy with that. We really get along, you know?"

Misaki pouted at me, poking me in the side. "But that's no fun, Ai."

She was silent for a long moment and I looked at her questioningly. "You know, I'm glad that you guys get along but if he keeps being dishonest with you I'd have to rip his pretty head off…"

I smiled. "I think it was the only secret he had."

"A pretty big secret if you ask me. He made up an entirely new identity in front of you…"

"He apologized. Also, I knew that there was something fishy from the get-go so it wasn't that much of a huge surprise," I defended Kaoru.

"Alright, but why don't you consider getting together with him if you like him? It wouldn't hurt to go out with some guys once in a while," she suggested.

I looked at her unbelieving. "Misaki. Have you looked at Kaoru and have you looked at me properly? There is no way that this will ever happen. Just no. Especially after I told you about his family and the kind of society he mingles in, it should be clear that we are from entirely different worlds. Also, Kaoru probably has a girlfriend. I mean have you actually seen him? Goodness, the girls at cram school still ask me about him every time and a week has passed since he visited. I swear to you, even Satō-sensei drooled over him which - by the way - is kind of creepy, considering the fact that she is a middle-aged woman. So no way is_ he_ single. Now look at me and tell me that I'm wrong."

My best friend looked at me and hesitated. "Okay, you're not completely wrong. The first part is utter bullshit, you idiot. Stop belittling yourself; you are my favorite person on earth. How could anyone not like you? Since he keeps pestering you it's obvious that he likes you as well. And that you are from different upbringings might be an obstacle but it's not a hindrance. About the girlfriend part. Well…you're kind of right. Usually guys like him are either taken or have different ´girlfriends´ at the same time. But we don't know for sure, do we?"

I scoffed at her. "Look, Misaki. It doesn't matter if he's single or not. I repeat. Kaoru is my friend. And by the way, if you think I'll ever make a move on a guy then you must be out of your mind. Of all the past relationships and hookups that you had, when did _you_ ever make the first move?"

Misaki paused and looked in thought. "Uh…"

"Exactly," I pointed out. "Let's face it. Both of us don't have enough guts to ask anyone out. _**And-**_" I held up a finger to hush her when she was about to complain. "-and I have other things on my mind other than getting a boyfriend. I know that you, the girls at school and everyone and their mommas are dating but it's really the last thing on my mind right now. I don't need a boyfriend and I'm trying very hard to ignore all the peer pressure so I'd kind of appreciate it if you could drop this matter. For now I'm fine with staying weird."

She shook her head. "Ai, I'm not saying that you need to go on dates because everyone else is doing it. And just because you haven't dated anyone before it doesn't make you weird. You're weird for different reasons, sweetie," she offered lovingly.

I laughed and flipped her off.

"It's just…we're going to graduate this year and we might not be able to see each other as often as we do now. It depends on what university we get into. We've been together for so long and I just feel like you weren't able to do things people our age do because of your mom. I know that you have a lot of worries but it would be great if you could counter all those things with new and positive experiences. And I see you. I understand you. I know that you feel lonely at times. We both don't have a lot of friends. You're pretty much always alone at home. I, on the other hand, still have my little brother, my mom and Makoto, so I don't feel lonely. When we go to University we're going to be on our own. I was wondering if things will get lonelier. If _you _will have the confidence to face things…"

I was taken aback by her sudden seriousness.

I knew we both had it. This fear of the future and we both knew that we would most likely be forced to separate at some point. But she had noticed it. It was true.

Sometimes when I was at home the house was all quiet and empty.

No siblings, no parents. Day in day out alone in a family house.

Other than Misaki there was just no one I felt close with, to whom I could confide in. Everyone in my family was adult and busy.

Often I refused to contact Misaki when I felt all weird and lonely. She often went out with her boyfriend, Makoto. And she was so happy that I just didn't feel like interrupting her. No way would I call her and wallow in self-pity. She didn't need that. Misaki herself had to deal with enough. I'd give her every ounce of happiness and luck if I could.

"Ai," the voice of Misaki ripped me out of my thoughts. "Let's face it. I'm saying this because I care about you. We're both unconfident, we put ourselves down a lot but dating has helped me feel more confident about myself and a little less self-conscious. My past relationships were shit – of course – but I learned a lot and there were times that were really…nice. Look, I won't lie. It's nice to have someone to take you out, care for you or treat you to something.

Often I want to be alone and I know that you're the same way but at the same time I don't want to be lonely. That's when it's amazing to have someone just beside you watching Netflix, dressed like a homeless person. You say your relationship with Kaoru is purely platonic? Alright, whatever. But think about going out on a few dates. If you think you're up for it just tell me. We can get you on a dating app! And don't look at me like that. That's how I met most of my dates! Nowadays it's hard to find a match in a natural way if you're as anti-social as we are.

You wanna meet someone through friends? - What friends do we have?

Or at school. – How? With the amount of dim-witted idiots we have at school, highly unlikely and eww."

I looked at Misaki unsure about the whole thing. The thought of going on a date scared the living shit out of me.

"Just you, mentioning me going on a date gives me anxiety."

Misaki laughed out loud. "You think I didn't feel the same way? I'll tell you how embarrassing I act when I'm on a date. I sit there, say nothing other than ´hi` and then the guy talks about earth and who-knows-what while I awkwardly nod and say ´yes` throughout the rest of the date. And look at what happened! Makoto is still with me. No idea why but hey it worked!"

I snorted. "I think your huge boobs played a big role."

She laughed. "Probably."

Then she looked at me seriously. "I know how your mom is, Ai. But honestly, you're eighteen now. She doesn't have the right to restrain you like this. She didn't do this to your brother or your sister. It's not fair. This is your last year at school. Live a little and risk a little. She doesn't have to know."

I grimaced at Misaki as I mulled things over in my head. She was right. My mother was very strict with me.

I always remembered having less freedom than my older siblings as the youngest. My brother had the privilege of being the first born boy. He never had a curfew and he never got scolded for anything since he was momma's favorite baby.

My sister, Mai, and I weren't as lucky. Mai had a curfew until ten pm; mine was only until six pm. Furthermore we got scolded and beaten. I suppose Mai was always the better one at negotiating because she eventually got more freedom as she turned sixteen.

I wasn't even allowed to go to harmless sleepovers, birthday parties or to have guy friends. My so-called friends thought it was weird that I always refused their invitations and eventually left me one after another. So when I hit sixteen I got upset about it a lot and fought with my mom but after a while I got so tired of fighting and negotiating that I just gave up, complying without fuss.

Even now I felt anger when I thought about it.

I looked at Misaki and made up my mind. "You know what? Sign me up for that dating app or whatever. This year I'm gonna go out more often. Forget the ridiculous no-dating-and-going-out-until you're-twenty-one-rule."

Misaki grinned at me brightly. "That's the spirit, girl! Just leave things to my capable self."

**~ O ~**

There was a shiny black Mercedes Benz parked in front of my home.

The bodywork of the luxury vehicle was so huge that it occupied the entire space of the narrow street. It was daytime so a lot of children and parents were passing the striking car as they were heading towards the park just across from my house. I even saw some of my neighbors curiously peeking through their curtains to get a good look.

_No. That's not him. That's definitely not him. He wouldn't._

I rolled my eyes at myself and almost laughed. Kaoru wouldn't pop up like this to pick me up. He knew how much I hated attention and I told him to not do anything extravagant. He wouldn't…_right?_

There was an actual chauffeur who came out of the car, white gloves and all. He opened the rear passenger door. "Master Hitachiin, we've arrived."

A tallish auburn haired devil got out of the car, wearing outlandish designer clothing. His getup was completed with sunglasses and a smirk on his face.

"Hey Pinky!"

I stood there petrified as a small crowd of curious onlookers gathered around the scene.

"Pinky! Get in the car! Let's go to the commoner's shopping mall!" The annoying voice urged.

I forced my brain to function.

_Let's_ _just turn around and head back inside, act like you don't know him, Ai. That's right; you don't know this guy…_

"Oi, Pinky! You're heading the wrong way!" The annoying voice exclaimed meanwhile the onlookers began to speculate what was going on.

"_Mommy look! Is that a movie star?" _

"_Whoa, he must be super rich! Obaa-chan, who is this girl, he's calling and why does she have such a weird name?"_

"_Look darling, a foreign car in this area! What's going on?"_

Could this get any more mortifying?

My arm was grabbed by someone and I knew who it was without looking. "Let's go play, Pinky!" that retard urged.

"Excuse me, sir. You must have mistaken me for someone else. Please let go of me…"

He laughed. "Don't be ridiculous, Pinky. Get in the car."

"Forget it! Never! Leave me alone, you freak."

"Ai-chan? Is everything alright, dear?" I looked up to see my neighbor Mrs. Yukimura. The elder lady approached me with a worried look on her face, gazing at the idiot next to me with caution.

"Who is this young man? He's driving a foreign car; don't tell me you've gotten in trouble with some people. How terrible, do you want me to call the police, dear? Release her arm right away you rascal! How dare you manhandle a young girl like this?"

I looked at her pleadingly. "Yes Yukimura-san, please please call the police."

Kaoru laughed in a cheerful exaggerated way and covered my mouth with his hand while I struggled to get away from him.

"Hahaha! You're such a jokester, **darling**! Milady, I'm dear Ai's **boyfriend**!" he introduced himself enthusiastically to Mrs. Yukimura.

I almost choked on my own spit right there.

Kaoru pressed me against him and my eyes widened.

Mrs. Yukimura looked at him suspiciously. "Is that so?" she asked looking at me but I couldn't move nor speak. I desperately tried to signify with my eyes that I was captured by a psycho and needed saving but Kaoru's hand forced me to nod.

He casually took off his sunglasses. "Yes, yes. That's right. I wanted to take my sweetheart out to go shopping. I just love spoiling her but you see. Ai is just too modest to accept any gifts from me that's why she is acting like this but it's truly wonderful to see a beautiful lady such as yourself looking out for the love of my life. I always worry about her safety every second I spend away from her. I can't help but be overprotective when it comes to her," he raved dramatically and I swear I saw tears in his eyes as I looked up.

_What the hell!?_

Mrs. Yukimura instantly changed her demeanor and clasped her hands in front of her chest, obviously falling for his cheesy story. "Oh my, really? How lovely. I didn't know you had such a wonderful boyfriend, dear. Well then, by all means. Go ahead and have fun you two. You go and take care of our lovely Ai, you handsome young man."

_No! Mrs. Yukimura, save me! Don't believe him, he is the devil!_

"Of course, I'm not going to leave you out of my sight, my sweetheart. You're mine for the rest of the day," he spoke, his voice suddenly husky and low as he looked me in the eyes, slowly leaning down. I ripped my eyes open. What on earth was he doing!?

I pointlessly fought against his iron grip as he leaned down and planted a gentle kiss on my forehead. I heard some women, including Mrs. Yukimura, gasping and swooning.

He was out of his mind. That was the only explanation.

"Let's go darling," he said, giving me a crooked smile that made me want to smack him.

I heard him whistle his chauffeur over who grabbed me by my other arm and both carried me towards the car.

_Someday, Kaoru Hitachiin, someday I'll make you pay for this. Mark my words._

* * *

Hey everyone,

I'm back with another chapter. I hope everyone is and stays healthy. Be careful everyone and thank you to **rsaenz18** I'm glad you enjoyed Ch.11 and hope you'll continue to read my story. Life is getting a bit better so thank you :)


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